toxic 1 of 2

toxic

2 of 2

noun

as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing tested for toxics in the water supply

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 toxic
Adjective
The skin of the cassava root naturally contains a toxic compound called linamarin that converts to cyanide in the body and can lead to cyanide poisoning. Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025 Some over-the-top emergencies have included earthquakes, mudslides, tsunamis, train collisions releasing toxic fumes into the air, volcano eruptions, even a bizarre porta potty rescue. Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
Just last week, for example, the Trump administration, through its Environmental Protection Agency, proposed to withdraw two rules imposing air toxics and greenhouse gas limits on fossil-fuel power plants. Wayne Messam, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2025 The politics at Oakland Unified have moved from contentious to outright toxic in the past two years, with the board split on key votes around financial decisions. Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 31 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for toxic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toxic
Adjective
  • Powell County paramedic Eddie Barnes and one of his team members were called to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo in May after the zoo’s co-director, James Harrison, was bitten by a poisonous mamba snake, local news outlet LEX 18 reported.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Rather than allowing herself to be captured by the Romans, legend has it that Cleopatra let a poisonous asp bite her in Alexandria, according to the documentary.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Historically, gossip is equal parts social glue and poison.
    Oriel FeldmanHall, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
  • In this lead-free America, children grow up with their minds and bodies not damaged by this poison.
    Tom Frieden, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The approach could open safer treatment possibilities for bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and viral brain infections.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
  • For each ticket sold, $1 will be donated to the CMT Research Foundation, which funds research to help aid in finding a cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This common strain releases a toxin that can damage blood vessels in the intestines and kidneys, which can cause serious complications like kidney damage.
    Brandi Jones, Health, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Their findings, published in the journal Communications Biology, point to chronic exposure to toxins produced by microorgansims known as cynobacteria—which are frequently found in freshwater, estuarine and marine waters—as a possible trigger.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Toxic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toxic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on toxic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!