as in poison
a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops
The family farm has gradually moved away from the use of pesticides.
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Recent Examples of pesticide
There are environmental factors as well, including a potential link to microplastics and a potential link to pesticides.
—
Eva Flowe
april 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Use ant bait versus ant-killing pesticides.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
Think about it — there’s minimal ground disturbance, very little development and typically no pesticide use.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
The volunteers worked with the Audubon Society, removing the mothballs by hand and properly discarding bagfuls of the product, typically used as an in-home pesticide.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Eva Flowe
april 27, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Use ant bait versus ant-killing pesticides.
—Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
Think about it — there’s minimal ground disturbance, very little development and typically no pesticide use.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
The volunteers worked with the Audubon Society, removing the mothballs by hand and properly discarding bagfuls of the product, typically used as an in-home pesticide.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
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The authors reported there were 90,000 calls to poison control centers involving these products in 2023 alone.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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Don’t use poisons, traps, or deterrents that could cause harm.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the 1970s, Claudia Miller, an allergist and environmental scientist, was studying how toxicants affect people in industrial settings and began noticing strange symptoms emerging after certain kinds of chemical exposures.—
Kate Raphael,
Discover Magazine,
23 June 2025
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Then, using a simulation, the team found that the warmth and weight of the sleeping child could increase the off-gassing of the toxicants.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Malathion is often used for the insecticide and Captan for fungicide.—
Calvin Finch,
San Antonio Express-News,
28 Apr. 2026
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The book detailed the devastating effects to wildlife—especially birds—from the widespread use of the insecticide DDT.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the meantime, many farmers rely on synthetic herbicides to stay afloat, Wilken said.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The guiderail program needs the slow rolling process in which the DOT is moving at 15 mph to 20 mph on roads or highways, spraying invasive weeds with herbicide with a wand attached to the truck.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The proposal would burden doctors with giving parents a highly detailed consent statement to be prepared by boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine, and forbid health authorities to order vaccinations during outbreaks of familiar or new deadly diseases.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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Overall, about half of children with the disease are infected during birth, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said, while others caught it from family members.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In most cases, spray with a garden-safe fungicide instead.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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The fungicide, also known as DBCP, became notorious decades ago when male workers on Latin American banana plantations became sterile after the chemical was absorbed into their skin.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hence, iron likely provides the structural integrity needed to hold struggling prey long enough for the venom to take effect.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Apr. 2026
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Movement can help venom spread through the body.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Manufacturers should be diligently working to clean up their supply chains and manufacturing practices to ensure their products are free of PFAS and other toxics.—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
1 May 2026
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Taking supporting women’s wrongs—and rights—to new levels, everyone’s favorite toxic on-screen Girl Boss duo are back for a fourth season of Industry: Harper Stern and Yasmin Kara-Hanani.—
Chloe Laws,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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