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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
exhaust fumes poisoning the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
After the performance, there’s no turning back, and the blood flows like wine, or poison.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
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.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
If consumed, rat poison can inhibit blood clotting in the body, potentially causing bleeding gums, nose bleeds and bruising, among other symptoms, the Austrian health agency said.
—CBS News, 19 Apr. 2026
After the performance, there’s no turning back, and the blood flows like wine, or poison.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that his New York conviction last year was poisoned by bad blood among jurors.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.
—Conor Wight, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for poison
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poison
Noun
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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
-
The Michigan Legislature passed a law in 2008 meant to protect the public from harmful electronic waste toxics.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
An expert who spoke to New York magazine estimated that about 30 percent of the peptides tested for clients were contaminated or otherwise tainted.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Court exhibit But that, too, Casteleiro argued, was tainted.—
Mary Murphy,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Water sources are often polluted through run-off from lawns that contain herbicides.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As of last April, the state environmental agency was also lagging behind on inspections of polluting facilities, according to the audit.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some mineral sunscreen manufacturers add UV filters such as butyloctyl salicylic acid and ethylhexyl methoxycrylene to prevent SPF levels from degrading in zinc oxide, which Downs has linked to potential cancer risks and coral toxicity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Even certain nonstick surfaces can degrade over time.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chicago had to remake its safety depth chart this offseason, and Coby Bryant and Thieneman have turned a potential weakness into a strength.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The scene at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington turned chaotic, Los Angeles Times reporters wrote, when a man dashed toward the dining area and was met with gunfire.—
Karim Doumar,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Restoring the balance of the humors through profusely bleeding the patient or inducing vomiting or diarrhea with the poisonous plant hellebore.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a steadiness to Tung/Wonder Woman that stands out for its quiet authority in a frequently goofy landscape peppered with poisonous robes and finger-eating minions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Naturally, trouble spoils the crew’s relaxation in the form of an ocean princess named Yura (Allegra Clark; Saoiri Onishi) on the run from baddies Zodon (Christopher Corey Smith; Koichi Domoto) and Djeese (Yuri Lowenthal; Koji Yusa).—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
1 May 2026
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Cincy spoiled the shutout in the ninth off reliever Jimmy Herget when Will Benson tagged him for a two-run homer.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poison.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poison. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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