as in drug
a substance used to induce or speed up the process of defecation
In the past, purgatives were sometimes administered in cases of accidental poisoning.
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Recent Examples of purgative
Sales of purgatives, tonics, syrups and patent medicines like Carter’s Little Liver Pills went through the roof as ordinary people were encouraged to closely monitor the frequency and quality of their bowel movements.
—
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?
—Tom Nolan, WSJ, 11 June 2021
Blackshirts forced their opponents to drink castor oil and other purgatives, and then sent them home, wrenching with pain and covered in their own feces.
—Michael Ebner, Slate Magazine, 30 Jan. 2017
The persistent and sickening violence of Detroit could work as a powerful purgative, a corrective medicine for deprogramming those who doubt the reality of police brutality.
—Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, 8 Aug. 2017
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?
—Tom Nolan, WSJ, 11 June 2021
Blackshirts forced their opponents to drink castor oil and other purgatives, and then sent them home, wrenching with pain and covered in their own feces.
—Michael Ebner, Slate Magazine, 30 Jan. 2017
The persistent and sickening violence of Detroit could work as a powerful purgative, a corrective medicine for deprogramming those who doubt the reality of police brutality.
—Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, 8 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgative
Noun
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This time, the same drugs — both the opioid mimic and the naloxone — had no effect.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
25 Aug. 2025
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New tariffs on America’s trading partners, for example, are expected to push up the cost of drugs and medical supplies.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While the assets may be offshore, the person who settled the offshore trust may still be in the U.S. and thus subject to the contempt remedy of the U.S. courts to cause those assets to be repatriated (this is what that Impossibility Defense stuff was all about).—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Turmeric soap is trending as a natural remedy for acne, hyperpigmentation, and dark spots.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purgative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgative. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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