pollution

1
as in contamination
the action or process of making the environment dirty or harmful The company designed devices to reduce the pollution of the world's oceans.

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2
as in corruption
something that makes (someone) less pure, honest, or moral They refused to let their children play violent video games, believing that they caused pollution in a developing mind.

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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 pollution The companies on the list have undertaken important and often difficult work to reduce the carbon pollution from their operations, energy consumption and supply chains. Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025 Despite industry claims, nonessential (tourist and commuter) helicopters contribute little to the local economy, and the impact to tax-paying residents of noise and air pollution, the reduction of property values, and the senseless and avoidable loss of life, has a far higher cost. Eric Katzman, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025 The film addresses pressing environmental concerns in Thailand, particularly dust pollution, which has become a severe issue over the past decade. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2025 After Nat dies from dust pollution, her husband, March, is consumed by grief. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
  • Heed posted warnings Take signs about swimming risks and possible contamination seriously.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 23 May 2025
  • Six schools have closed since the start of the year due to lead contamination, and only two have reopened.
    Aria Bendix, NBC news, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • The series is centered on organized crime and corruption in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, using real-life characters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Trump's Justice Department dropped corruption charges against Adams earlier this year.
    Sarah N. Lynch, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Brownfields are abandoned or underused properties, often industrial or commercial, where redevelopment is complicated because of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants in the soil.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
  • Higher temperatures also increase preterm birth by increasing levels of the harmful air pollutant called ground-level ozone.
    Sheetal Khedkar Rao, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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