as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
the witch gave Snow White a poison apple
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in toxic
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
the only way to get rid of rats is to leave out poison
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred
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2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
exhaust fumes poisoning the air
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3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of poison
Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 6 Jan. 2026
The Vietnam War had proven to be a long-term poison in the system of our military, especially the Army.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
The assumption behind the lawsuit against Big Food is the usual narrative of big, bad profit-seeking food companies lying to consumers, poisoning their plates, and paying off the regulators.
—Yael Ossowski, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poison
Adjective
Michelle spins a long and complicated tale, but insists Teddy was wrong about the Andromedans trying to infiltrate and poison humanity.
—Noun
People are sick and tired of the poison and divisiveness stoked by our politicians and by social media.
—Verb
With intact skin and tissue, the mummified body, thought to be an 18th century clergyman, had drawn speculation of healing properties and even rumors of being poisoned.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
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The Michigan Legislature passed a law in 2008 meant to protect the public from harmful electronic waste toxics.—
-
East Bay parks officials say hikers should beware of an unusually large number of toxic — and potentially deadly — mushrooms sprouting across the region.—
Verb
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Lawyers also argued the conviction should be overturned because the verdict was tainted by the media attention and due to faulty instructions to the jury.—
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Just as one bite of a cookie might not happen to contain chocolate chips, one small sample of drugs might not include fentanyl even if the larger supply is tainted, the agency’s website explains.—
Verb
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Despite the cesspits of conspiracy-think that pollute contemporary politics, the specific paranoia of Letts’s characters — bugs under the skin, brainwashing, nefarious doctors in government labs — feels less blazingly relevant than comparatively quaint.—
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Chemical rockets put out huge plumes of polluting exhaust, and for a massive machine like the SpaceX Starship, with 33 first-stage engines, that can add up—especially with hundreds of launches planned.—
Verb
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His mother previously told the Observer that his mental health degraded in the COVID-19 pandemic.—
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The information ecosystem is degrading more each moment.—
Verb
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Researchers in Germany are set to turn green waste, hay and algae into fully biodegradable plastics.—
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Together, these trends have turned industrial space into a cornerstone of national logistics and digital capacity.—
Adjective
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Anyone who may have eaten a poisonous mushroom is urged to seek medical help immediately.—
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Traces of plant toxins The chemical residues of this poisonous plant were found on 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads.—
Noun
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Plant diseases and pests can be spread by reusing dirty flower pots.—
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In 2024, Patrick's widow Lisa Niemi Swayze teamed up with leading non profit Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to help raise awareness of the disease and increase funding for research.—
Verb
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Pluribus crackles with terrific comic tension as Carol wakes up next to her dead partner, filled with grief yet spoiling for a fight.—
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Without spoiling too much, the two-minute clip finds Carol weathering ample concern for her less-than-cheery demeanor.—
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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