1
as in contamination
the action or process of making the environment dirty or harmful
The company designed devices to reduce the pollution of the world's oceans.
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2
as in corruption
something that makes (someone) less pure, honest, or moral
They refused to let their children play violent video games, believing that they caused pollution in a developing mind.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pollution
The good neighbor policy of the Clean Air Act seeks to prevent pollution from one state from travelling into another.
—
Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
Merkley also sits on the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works and its first priority is to review legislation on air pollution.
—Tracy J. Wholf, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2025
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, a regional air pollution control agency, operates about 35 air monitoring stations across nearly 11,000 square miles of the Los Angeles region to measure pollutants like ozone and carbon monoxide.
—Katharine Gammon, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2025
The alert warns of serious health effects from particle pollution and advises all residents—especially sensitive groups—to limit outdoor activity depending on the air quality index level.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
Merkley also sits on the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works and its first priority is to review legislation on air pollution.
—Tracy J. Wholf, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2025
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, a regional air pollution control agency, operates about 35 air monitoring stations across nearly 11,000 square miles of the Los Angeles region to measure pollutants like ozone and carbon monoxide.
—Katharine Gammon, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2025
The alert warns of serious health effects from particle pollution and advises all residents—especially sensitive groups—to limit outdoor activity depending on the air quality index level.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pollution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollution
Noun
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Officials are investigating several fire stations between Livermore and Pleasanton for water contamination as Pleasanton continues looking for new well sites.—
Kyle Martin,
The Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
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More than 160,000 bottles of laundry detergent are being recalled for possible bacterial contamination.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Boland states that a comprehensive charter is needed to address Chicago’s continuing climate of political corruption.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2025
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Blatter, 89, and Platini, 69, had been facing a charge of corruption at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court before being cleared, according to a statement to The Athletic from their lawyer, having previously been cleared of fraud more than two years ago.—
Dan Sheldon,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Wellness benefits: Purifies indoor air Low-maintenance care Reduces harmful pollutants 9.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Biofuels still produce pollutants, but some 98% of the city’s construction sites were free of fossil fuels in 2023.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
The Christian Science Monitor,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pollution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollution. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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