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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of pollution
The facility sits on the former Black Leaf property, which was designated as an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site in 2011 due to its legacy of industrial pollution.
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Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 15 Nov. 2024
In this room full of industry titans, Stouffer was leading a pep rally for pollution.
—Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
Many were parents of children with lung diseases and environmental justice activists who said the standard doesn’t go far enough to reduce air pollution and climate change.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Climate Voters in Washington state upheld a climate-change law seeking to slash carbon pollution.
—David A. Lieb, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pollution 
Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 15 Nov. 2024
In this room full of industry titans, Stouffer was leading a pep rally for pollution.
—Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
Many were parents of children with lung diseases and environmental justice activists who said the standard doesn’t go far enough to reduce air pollution and climate change.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Climate Voters in Washington state upheld a climate-change law seeking to slash carbon pollution.
—David A. Lieb, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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For the fiscal year that ended in September, there were 179 recalls deemed by the agency's food and cosmetics arm as being for the highest-risk classification of issues, like potential contamination with bacteria or undeclared allergens.Alexander Tin, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
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Similarly, the Environmental Protection Agency found scientific evidence that hydraulic fracking activities can affect drinking water resources under some circumstances, but the extent of contamination is unknown.Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Three members of the council were also accused of corruption.Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2024
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Local media reports said hundreds of amateur videos had been found at the finance official’s home during a raid associated with a corruption investigation.Reuters, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Concentrations of surface-level ozone, an air pollutant that contributes to respiratory and heart issues, repeatedly surpassed federal air quality standards over that period.Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2024
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In addition, scientists are hopeful that the new satellite could mitigate the number of pollutants released into the atmosphere.Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pollution
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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