UNSTERILE Synonyms: 111 Similar and Opposite Words

unsterile

adjective

Definition of unsterile

as in unsanitary

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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 unsterile There have also been reports of black market silicone injections, which are done illegally and in typically unsterile environments – further increasing the risk for health problems. — Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2023 There is also a risk that the contact lens and packing solution may become unsterile. — Yoni Heisler, BGR, 19 May 2021 Hale led a project focused on eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus, a deadly disease usually caused when the umbilical cord is cut with an unsterile instrument. — Kaitlin Lange, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Aug. 2020 Three former Fillakit employees said that its process was unsterile. — Ryan Gabrielson, ProPublica, 18 June 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsterile

Adjective

Meghan personally called animal rights attorney Shannon Keith, who runs the Beagle Freedom Project, after hearing about 4,000 beagles being rescued from overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at the Envigo breeding and research plant in Virginia.

— Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Airline catering workers have filed a new safety complaint against Flying Food Group, alleging they were exposed to unsafe and unsanitary working conditions at facilities serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

— Denis Akbari, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of unsanitary

Adjective

It can also be transmitted through sharing personal care items (like a razor or toothbrush) or getting a tattoo or piercing from unsterilized equipment.

— Julia Ries, SELF, 21 June 2023
Animal shelters across the country have been battling a deacades-long pandemic of sorts dealing with the consequences of unvaccinated and unsterilized pets, from surrenders of pets to animal shelters to the needless euthanasia of homeless pets.

— Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Sep. 2021

Definition of unsterilized

Adjective

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
The company admitted that by January 2021 some employees were aware that the insanitary conditions were causing products to become contaminated.

— Kate Gibson, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2024

Definition of insanitary

Adjective

Few things at airports irritate customers like filthy toilets or water on the restroom floor.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
His greatest series let people see a character who has revealed the filthiest, most shameful parts of themselves, and imagine them as a mirror.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of filthy

Adjective

Homewood Suites Charlotte Uptown The restaurant received 86% on June 30, with violations including employees in need of food safety training and unwashed hands.

— Eva Flowe July 25, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026
Left unwashed, a swimsuit becomes a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 20 July 2026

Definition of unwashed

Adjective

Health authorities later traced the outbreak to contaminated lettuce supplied to the fast-food restaurant by Taylor Farms de Mexico.

— James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Massachusetts has seen more than 100 cyclospora cases this summer, the state Department of Public Health said Wednesday, with some illnesses apparently linked to contaminated lettuce.

— Neal Riley, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of contaminated

Adjective

Nathu is told that the carcass is required for veterinary purposes, but it is later placed on the steps of a mosque to provoke Muslim anger since pigs are traditionally considered unclean in Islam.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Unfortunately, during the early to mid-twentieth century, negative perceptions of immigrant and ethnic laborers led many outsiders to view their neighborhoods as unsafe, unclean, and detrimental to the social fabric of American cities.

— Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026

Definition of unclean

Adjective

However, Strickland says a dirty filter or uncleaned condenser reduces your system's efficiency, which can raise energy bills.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 30 June 2026
Red chili peppers in a can on the bottom shelf of the prep table were left uncleaned.

— Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 27 Feb. 2026

Definition of uncleaned

Browse Nearby Words

unsteady

unsterile

unsterilized

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Style

“Unsterile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsterile. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of unsterile

adjective

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