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
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
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
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?
—Tom Nolan, WSJ, 11 June 2021
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgative
Noun
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The government also stopped collecting and reporting crucial survey findings on transgender students — data that have shown higher rates of depression, drug use, bullying and other problems.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Beer that turned green − possibly a chemical reaction with the drugs Dominque Pelicot had been slipping into her drinks and food to render her unconscious for the rapes.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The bill also gives the legal right to anyone who is harmed by such material to seek a remedy and bring an action against the entity that distributed the material.—
Mohamed Suliman,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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In particular, the Justice Department is pressing for stiffer remedies in a verdict against Google over an alleged advertising monopoly.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purgative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgative. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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