as in drool
the fluid that is secreted into the mouth by certain glands
our mouths filled with saliva when we smelled the delicious dinner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of saliva
Nipah virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, feces and blood, and through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—
Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2026
Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, caused by hantavirus, which is a flu-like illness connected to rodent droppings, saliva, and urine.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Part of what makes leeches so effective at blood-sucking is that their saliva has uniquely anesthetic and anticoagulant properties, so they’ve been used for thousands of years for folk medicines in Asia and Eastern Europe.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 21 Jan. 2026
Blood and saliva sampling to measure immune biomarkers and examine how space alters the immune system.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for saliva
Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2026
Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, caused by hantavirus, which is a flu-like illness connected to rodent droppings, saliva, and urine.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Part of what makes leeches so effective at blood-sucking is that their saliva has uniquely anesthetic and anticoagulant properties, so they’ve been used for thousands of years for folk medicines in Asia and Eastern Europe.
—Blair Braverman, Outside, 21 Jan. 2026
Blood and saliva sampling to measure immune biomarkers and examine how space alters the immune system.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for saliva
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saliva
Noun
-
In one image—a favorite of mine—a man lies on an expanse of sand, cradling a smiling child, whose drool is pooling on the man’s shirtless chest.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Lotte looks down at drips of drool on the green rubber mat that covers her desk.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Our live blog is still going strong with every cough and spit.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Use the spit buckets (seriously, the pros do it).—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The younger Pearl does not stalk the sideline drenched in sweat, veins bulging from his neck and spittle flying at every questionable call.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
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This surgical mask is my disguise and my means of shielding myself from covid spittle.—
Cora Frazier,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Saliva.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saliva. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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