as in filthy
not sanitary and likely to cause disease
working under unsanitary conditions The bathroom facilities were unsanitary.
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Recent Examples of unsanitary
Also, under the American International Market name, the location received products that were part of a massive late 2025 recall due to the threat of foodborne illness from potential Salmonella contamination, the presence of rodent and avian contamination and unsanitary conditions.
—
Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
Puppies sold in pet stores or online come from puppy mills, where dogs are housed in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions without veterinary care, adequate food or water, or socialization.
—Elise Gingrich, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Jensen previously pleaded guilty to a charge of care and treatment of animals in 2024, when he was found to have had 19 rats in a 20-gallon tank, living in unsanitary conditions, and all with upper respiratory infections and eye issues.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 20 Mar. 2026
Frequent spills on the sides and bottom of the can lead to a sticky buildup that becomes stinky and unsanitary.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsanitary
Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
Puppies sold in pet stores or online come from puppy mills, where dogs are housed in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions without veterinary care, adequate food or water, or socialization.
—Elise Gingrich, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Jensen previously pleaded guilty to a charge of care and treatment of animals in 2024, when he was found to have had 19 rats in a 20-gallon tank, living in unsanitary conditions, and all with upper respiratory infections and eye issues.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 20 Mar. 2026
Frequent spills on the sides and bottom of the can lead to a sticky buildup that becomes stinky and unsanitary.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsanitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsanitary
Adjective
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Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests.—
C. Michael White,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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The movie doesn’t make this plot very clear, and is more concerned with the texture of this filthy world.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Such assurances are unlikely to quell the community’s decades-long experience with polluted runoff, however, and small farmers say that runoff could also present a food safety problem and threaten to set back years of organic farming practices.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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State officials issued islandwide brown water advisories for Oahu and Maui after storms sent polluted runoff into coastal waters.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Let the paste sit for 10 to 20 minutes, leaving it on longer for heavily greased or soiled areas.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
16 Jan. 2026
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Bonner’s story is what is right about sports, which seem to become more soiled and corrupt by the minute.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The residents said the large block of dirty ice crashed through their roof and landed on their living room couch.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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But because these sensors come into contact with dirty floors, they can easily get covered with dust and other debris.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Six weeks later, the orange and black have snapped a five-season postseason drought.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Liu was wearing a black blazer, starched white culottes, and black oxfords.—
Emilia Petrarca,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The company issued the recall because the shrimp may have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with cesium-137 (Cs-137).—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
22 Sep. 2025
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Employees were observed to only sanitize their gloved hands after touching insanitary surfaces and then resumed touching RTE food and various food contact surfaces.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Wheatley isn’t a sudden-twitch mover and the tackling can get messy, but the size, awareness and ability to play deep, in the slot or around the box should keep him in the Day 2 conversation.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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A lot of the case seemed to come down to disorganization and messy paperwork.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Set in 1953 after the titular dictator’s passing, the film revels in the chaotic, messy, bumbling power struggle that ensues among figures like Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor).—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
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The venue was the sprawling Serena Hotel, an oasis within what is already a bubble provided by Islamabad, a leafy city of broad boulevards that feels detached from the rest of Pakistan, an often chaotic country of 240 million people.—
Saeed Shah,
Time,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unsanitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsanitary. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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