performance-enhancing drug
noun
: a substance (such as an anabolic steroid, human growth hormone, or erythropoietin) that is used illicitly to improve athletic performance
In the United States, more than 1 million elite and recreational athletes use performance-enhancing drugs for muscle building purposes.—
Josiah D. Rich et al.
Josiah D. Rich et al.…33 of the 48 major and minor league players suspended by baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs since the start of 2006 were pitchers.—Sean Gregory
Sean GregoryRoger Bannister, the first person to run a subpar four-minute mile, said today he thought that increased use of blood testing could help curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs by track and field athletes.—The New York Times
—abbreviation PED
The New York TimesExamples of performance-enhancing drug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Former police chief Shane Marlin, four officers and one of the officers’ wives were indicted on charges that included mishandling or tampering with evidence and using performance-enhancing drugs.
—Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2025
In 2010, Judge Walton oversaw Clemens’ arraignment on charges of lying to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Mar. 2025
That December, former Senator George Mitchell released a report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball, which implicated Clemens and Andy Pettitte, among other high-profile players.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2025
Court records offered some additional details about the accusations, which include the mishandling of evidence, use of performance-enhancing drugs and unauthorized access to a law enforcement database.
—Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for performance-enhancing drug
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Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2025
In 2010, Judge Walton oversaw Clemens’ arraignment on charges of lying to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Mar. 2025
That December, former Senator George Mitchell released a report on performance-enhancing drug use in baseball, which implicated Clemens and Andy Pettitte, among other high-profile players.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2025
Court records offered some additional details about the accusations, which include the mishandling of evidence, use of performance-enhancing drugs and unauthorized access to a law enforcement database.
—Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for performance-enhancing drug
Cite this Entry
“Performance-enhancing drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performance-enhancing%20drug. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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