as in poisonous
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
certain plants are toxic if eaten
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in poison
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
tested for toxics in the water supply
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toxic
Katharine Gammon, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Lead is a toxic metal that can be hard to see but is extremely harmful, officials said in the release.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
In 2023, 20 steel mills and coke plants nationwide emitted nearly 2.4 million pounds of air toxics, 289,722 tons of criteria air pollutants and 43.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, according to the study.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toxic
Adjective
The many chemicals, including asbestos and lead, in our homes can form a toxic soup.
—Katharine Gammon, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Lead is a toxic metal that can be hard to see but is extremely harmful, officials said in the release.
—Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
Environmental advocates say the new regulation of air toxics, which was required under a 2022 bill called Public Protections From Toxic Air Contaminants, will make the state’s air cleaner and its people healthier.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
In 2023, 20 steel mills and coke plants nationwide emitted nearly 2.4 million pounds of air toxics, 289,722 tons of criteria air pollutants and 43.3 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, according to the study.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toxic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toxic
Adjective
-
Should Trump pursue this scheme of conquest, the military’s training will have to be shattered and reassembled into a destructive version of itself, as if doctors were asked to take lifesaving medicines, reconstitute them as poisonous isomers, and then administer them to patients.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
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Having been burned badly by his phantom surplus in 2022, Newsom is obviously aware that a repeat would be politically poisonous.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Patients who have fallen ill from eating poison mushrooms range in age from 19 months to 67 years.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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This comprehensive study provides a materials-by-design playbook for turning the most abundant anion in the ocean—chloride—from a poison into a performance descriptor, paving the way for truly seawater-robust energy storage and conversion devices, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The path to health involves aggressive treatment that eradicates the disease.—
Pedro A. Rojas Arroyo,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
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These issues include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and multiple types of cancer, including breast, liver, colorectal, esophageal, and head and neck cancers.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Two whales also washed up on local beaches, sickened by the toxin, a first in Southern California.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
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The company’s patented air and water filtration system tackles common airborne contaminants, bacteria, and toxins, ensuring water is safe to drink with replaceable filter cartridges for convenient maintenance.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toxic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toxic. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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