pesticide

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pesticide This is accomplished via an air-blast pesticide spraying process, a challenging and repetitive job which has to be done at least six times during a growing season. Richard Bishop, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Chemical components of pesticides were found in four of the products — inhaling certain pesticides through marijuana smoking poses a risk of harmful toxicants entering the lungs and bloodstream. Ben Markus - Colorado Public Radio, NPR, 4 Feb. 2025 The crew travels to Argentina to expose the effects of pesticides on people; Amalia Ulman wrote and directed the film. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2025 That means reducing lawns, planting natives, avoiding pesticides, and protecting natural water sources, notes Mizejewski. Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pesticide 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
  • Cleveland doctors would soon find a deadly dose of the same poison in her sister’s stomach.
    Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
  • Their days are taken up with shooting practice, lobster racing, pelting men with fruit, and slipping poison into unattended cups of tea—and best of all, there isn’t a damsel in distress in sight.
    Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Chemical components of pesticides were found in four of the products — inhaling certain pesticides through marijuana smoking poses a risk of harmful toxicants entering the lungs and bloodstream.
    Ben Markus - Colorado Public Radio, NPR, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Nonetheless, the researchers also acknowledged that realizing such goals will be complex, as U.S. regulators typically consider risks associated with individual toxicants, rather than the complex mixtures that exist in wastewater.
    Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In Uganda, the national government has stopped spraying insecticide and distributing bed nets to pregnant women and young kids; during the country’s next rainy season, which spans from March to May, malaria cases and deaths may spike.
    Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Baits contain insecticide that may not only kill the roach who ingests it but that has a secondary transfer to other roaches who may eat that roach’s waste or the roach itself, says Benson.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Environmental exposures: Exposure to toxic chemicals like herbicides (weed killers) or microplastics increases the risk of developing multiple myeloma.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 14 Feb. 2025
  • One final note: In some lawns, annual bluegrass can become resistant to herbicides when the same herbicide has been used repeatedly over the years, says Waltz.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Show creator Samantha Strauss said the character of Lucy was important to depict what a lot of people feel when fighting a disease: not listened to, not in control and not acknowledged as a full person.
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
  • How long that takes depends on the course of the disease and farmer operations.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Brown patch a disease is causes yellow areas in many lawns; apply a fungicide as needed.
    Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Dipping the fresh-cut end in rooting hormone may also increase the rate of success, both to stimulate root formation and to discourage stem rot (some products contain a fungicide).
    Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • For the program, the zoo takes the collected and recorded spiders and milks them for their venom so the material can used to make anti-venom.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Their stingers deliver as much venom as a snake or seven times that of a honeybee.
    Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • What these arguments fail to understand is that DEI protections were put in place for certain groups because of historically discriminatory hiring practices and to course-correct toxic, racist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, and sexist workplaces.
    Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 30 Jan. 2025
  • This strategy has amplified his visibility but has also drawn criticism for aligning with internet personalities accused of toxic and, for some, abusive behaviors.
    Kia Turner, refinery29.com, 28 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near pesticide

Cite this Entry

“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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