as in poisoning
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
outmoded factories polluting the air
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Recent Examples of polluting
Despite the low grades, the city and county weren’t named in Wednesday’s report as among America’s worst polluting cities and counties.
—
Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
The idea was to reduce emissions contributing to global warming while simultaneously replacing those polluting sources with clean technologies like wind and solar power.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
As cell phone service expands on the MTA and headphones seem to have no value underground, we’re subjected more than ever to doomscrolling at full volume — and the nauseating, water-torture pling of candies being crushed, among other horrors polluting sight and sound.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Millions of gallons a day of raw, untreated sewage and industrial waste flows north through the Tijuana River, across the border, into the Tijuana River Estuary and out into the Pacific — polluting the air as well.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polluting
Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 22 Apr. 2026
The idea was to reduce emissions contributing to global warming while simultaneously replacing those polluting sources with clean technologies like wind and solar power.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
As cell phone service expands on the MTA and headphones seem to have no value underground, we’re subjected more than ever to doomscrolling at full volume — and the nauseating, water-torture pling of candies being crushed, among other horrors polluting sight and sound.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
Millions of gallons a day of raw, untreated sewage and industrial waste flows north through the Tijuana River, across the border, into the Tijuana River Estuary and out into the Pacific — polluting the air as well.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polluting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polluting
Verb
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The young woman who sojourned to Oberlin College, where she was wrongfully accused of poisoning her classmates and beaten half to death, who raised her hands in defense of herself, then went on to grip clay and rock and chisel to re-create visions of justice.—
Tyehimba Jess,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Kennedy added the feds will now focus on microplastics contaminating water.—
Stephanie Stahl,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Just last month, a massive oil spill in the Gulf spread more than 373 miles and into seven nature reserves, contaminating at least six species and sending 800 tons of hydrocarbon-laden waste into the ocean.—
Alexa St. John,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, streaming is tainting the postseason.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
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Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polluting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polluting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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