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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Since the launch of LineShine, the supercomputer has been used for applications ranging from climate modeling and engineering simulations to drug discovery, neuroscience and AI, the center said.
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Court documents say Blakemore was a prolific drug trafficker for the Highs street gang, selling fentanyl at the intersection of Broadway and Lyndale in north Minneapolis.
Noun
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The defense team also pointed to another Utah criminal case in which prosecutors were accused of contempt and suggested that one potential remedy would be to bar the state from seeking the death penalty.
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The main remedy Robinson’s defense suggested if prosecutors were held in contempt was for the death penalty to be removed as a possible punishment, should Robinson be convicted.
Cite this Entry
“Purgative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgative. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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