POISONS Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

poisons 1 of 2

noun

plural of poison

as in diseases

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

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poisons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of poison

as in taints

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable poisoning the minds of impressionable children with ethnic hatred

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as in pollutes

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable exhaust fumes poisoning the air

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as in corrupts

to lower in character, dignity, or quality this party partisanship poisons the national debate we should be having about this urgent problem

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as in turns

to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge malicious rumors had poisoned many church members against the new pastor

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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 poisons

Noun

Wildlife officials had found that many of these poisons worked their way through the food chain, sickening and killing owls, raptors, coyotes and mountain lions. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Russia accused of trying to undermine Ukraine's allies Russia has long been accused of targeting its enemies abroad, including by using rare poisons. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 She was also treated for rodenticide toxicity, which occurs when humans or nontarget animals ingest rat or mouse poisons; however, caregivers did not believe that was the primary cause of her illness. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 Duck bills have neither nerve endings for sensing toad toxins nor blood vessels for absorbing them; the juggling movements were conceivably an adaptation for rinsing poisons into the water. — Kimon De Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026 Kara’s after Krem, too, after the space pirate poisons Krypto the Superdog and has the antidote to save him. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026 On their first encounter, Krem poisons Krypto, Kara's super-dog, leaving her with only three days to retrieve the antidote. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 June 2026 Anyone concered about a wild rat infestation should contact a professional exterminator or vector-control agency, since commercial poisons can still allow for the spread of the disease. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 11 June 2026 At least five toxins were detected in his body, including deadly poisons such as mercury and tetrodotoxin, according to reports from Chinese media. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

Verb

Set in 2029 in a future where no mutants have been born in 25 years, Jackman plays an older, grizzlier Wolverine, one whose healing factor is fading as his adamantium skeleton slowly poisons him. — Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026 Any infection can progress to a systemic disease that poisons the blood and body. — Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026 In the film, Cady also poisons the family dog, Benjamin. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 12 June 2026 The bait poisons the entire colony, including the queen, so no new ants can be produced. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 June 2026 Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 May 2026 Sensing Scarlet’s resolve to destroy him, Claudius poisons her. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026 And two, baking soda is an indiscriminate weed killer that poisons the soil. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 May 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisons

Noun

Regularly cleaning and sanitizing your gardening tools will help prevent the spread of plant diseases.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026
West Nile virus is the most common of the diseases transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.

— Paula Wethington, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of diseases

Verb

The usual analogy is that generative AI and LLMs are akin to a factory that pollutes local waters.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
The Chenab River runs red with blood while poison pollutes the five rivers of Punjab and spreads through the fertile soil.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Definition of pollutes

Verb

Ask who owns what, adjust the timeline, and make one practical fix before momentum turns messy.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
Conversations about the ethics of true crime storytelling persist in the space, especially with critics who claim that the genre turns pain into product and entertainment.

— Matt Minton, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of turns

Noun

In late May, about 50,000 people in Orange County were evacuated because, at a Garden Grove site operated by GKN Aerospace, tanks holding a volatile hazardous chemical called methyl methacrylate were at risk of exploding or leaking toxics.

— Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Munoz is an independent toxicologist working in collaboration with MAHA against pesticides and toxics.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 10 July 2026

Definition of toxics

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poisonous

poisons

poke

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“Poisons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisons. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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noun

verb

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