SUBLETHAL Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

sublethal

adjective

Definition of sublethal

as in toxic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of sublethal Documenting often-invisible, sublethal effects in wild animals that are definitively linked to plastic itself has remained elusive. — Matthew Savoca, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2023 The third is that this dosage was sublethal, just to send a message. — Ellen Barry and Ceylan Yeginsu, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2018 There’s a growing body of evidence, too, that neonicotinoids may have sublethal effects, says Dennis vanEngelsdorp, a bee researcher at the University of Maryland who was not involved in the new study. — Lindsey Konkel, National Geographic, 26 July 2016

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sublethal

Adjective

But if fossil fuels are politically toxic, livestock is a downright miasma.

— Stephanie Walton, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
Most recently, his firm M Strategic Communications took on Lineage as a client in the aftermath of the toxic fire at its cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of toxic

Adjective

Sepsis can lead to a number of different complications, and Woodhouse developed infective endocarditis — an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2026
The team confirmed that those eggs developed into infective third-stage larvae.

— Jay Kakade August 05, Refractor, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of infective

Adjective

The virus is spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes and breathes and can remain virulent for up to two hours.

— Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 24 Aug. 2026
The isotopes that make up radiopharmaceuticals are just as virulent as the beam radiation patients have begrudgingly tolerated for decades.

— Allison DeAngelis, STAT, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of virulent

Adjective

With this potential even more poisonous investments in the bloated and indebted Paramount behemoth, there’s even more reason to reject it.

— Abigail Disney, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
This can come with high levels of metals such as nickel and vanadium, which can damage engines, and sulfur, which can be poisonous to people.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of poisonous

Adjective

But, when Dovner questioned him lightly about the details, the man’s infectious laughter made Gleb even more convinced that such trifles were hardly worth mentioning at all.

— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
On the other sideline, there were tons of smiles, and none more infectious than that of Robinson, who finished the game with 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of infectious

Adjective

The backlash against this perfectly reasonable post demonstrates the deleterious effect of mass immigration on our democratic system.

— Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
During this time, bogs, marshes, and other wetlands, historically seen as disease-ridden and deleterious to human health, were reevaluated by scientists and conservationists as valuable wildlife habitats.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026

Definition of deleterious

Adjective

Neon plans a 2027 theatrical release under the Creative Commons license for the open-source horror film based on a fictional secretive organization that keeps supernatural items and other harmful entities away from the public.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Executives from six major AI companies signed a one-page document pledging to monitor their models and prevent harmful uses such as hacking.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of harmful

Adjective

Obscured Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to The Drug in Our Pocket, a documentary by Anne Sundberg about the pernicious effects on young people of constant smartphone use.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
But the specific way markets are taking root—with much of the population too poor to participate meaningfully, with no rule of law, and with the gap between winners and losers steadily widening—is pernicious for the country’s future.

— Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of pernicious

Browse Nearby Words

sublet

sublethal

sublets

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sublethal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sublethal. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sublethal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

adventitious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes