as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
some evil person was leaving out poisonous meat for neighborhood dogs to eat
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Recent Examples of poisonous
The attack, which only killed the bomber but could have been much worse, is an act worthy of perhaps the dumbest and most poisonous ideology on the planet right now.
—
Rich Lowry, National Review, 19 May 2025
From such small radioactive acorns do poisonous oaks grow.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
According to the McGill University office for science and society, several species of poison dart frogs contain such powerful toxins in their body that can kill an adult human by just brushing against its poisonous skin.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Residents near the area were later found to have usually high levels of the poisonous metal in their urine, according to the report.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Rich Lowry, National Review, 19 May 2025
From such small radioactive acorns do poisonous oaks grow.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
According to the McGill University office for science and society, several species of poison dart frogs contain such powerful toxins in their body that can kill an adult human by just brushing against its poisonous skin.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Residents near the area were later found to have usually high levels of the poisonous metal in their urine, according to the report.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
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Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
28 Feb. 2020
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Some farmers even intentionally poison cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
10 Feb. 2020
Adjective
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The explosion of money in the game in the past few years has made things only more toxic.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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As explained by Hill's Pet Nutrition, spicy food can be toxic for dogs and can lead to excessive thirst or even vomiting.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, between 7,000 to 8,000 people are bit by a venomous snake (including rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and coral snakes) in the U.S. each year.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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He was taken Hackensack University Medical Center, which has a team that specializes in treating bites from venomous snakes.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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