sterilized 1 of 2

adjective

as in sterile

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sterilized

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sterilize
as in neutered

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sterilized
  1. sterile
  2. neutered
  3. altered
  4. castrated
  5. emasculated
Adjective
  • Decades ago, the creation and release of sterile flies to interrupt the pest’s breeding cycle was key to driving it out.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Principal Andrew Kearl said work went into making sure the school, which has nearly 1,400 students, felt warm rather than sterile, the way new buildings sometimes can.
    — Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of sterile
Verb
  • Once they’ve been spayed/neutered, they’ll be put up for adoption.
    — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Weight gain is especially common after cats are spayed or neutered because hormonal changes can lower their metabolism and activity levels.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of neutered
Adjective
  • It’s well known that psychedelics such as LSD can spark psychotic breaks, but meditation can produce altered states of consciousness almost as powerful as those induced by psychedelics.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Do the Tigers, here in this new, altered state, really have one more run left in them?
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of altered
Verb
  • This is the league, remember, where a man (Harvey Updyke) confessed to poisoning the trees at Auburn on a radio show after Alabama lost to the Tigers, and a coach (Jackie Sherrill at Mississippi State) castrated a bull to motivate his squad.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Those expectations got castrated because of last season’s early struggles.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of castrated
Verb
  • No matter what agenda the president espoused—the economic pragmatism of Rafsanjani, the liberal aspirations of Mohammad Khatami, the populist provocations of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the nuclear diplomacy of Hassan Rouhani—Khamenei emasculated him.
    — Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Jordan continues yapping about being emasculated and being less of a man for staying with his wife.
    — Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Definition of emasculated
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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sterilized
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Cite this Entry

“Sterilized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sterilized. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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