polluted; polluting
1
a
: to make ceremonially or morally impure : defile
b
: debase sense 1
using language to deceive or mislead pollutes language—
Linda C. Lederman
Linda C. Lederman
polluter
noun
Examples of pollute in a Sentence
Miles of beaches were polluted by the oil spill.
Car exhaust pollutes the air.
Recent Examples on the Web
The rain can wash away pollutants and allergens in the air, especially in many large cities that are overly populated and polluted.
—Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 19 Apr. 2024
Canary Media’s Maria Gallucci, meanwhile, wrote about America’s first all-electric tugboat, which is about to launch at the Port of San Diego and could help replace hugely polluting diesel tugboats.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Previous assessments from the EPA and public health experts have also noted that people living near polluting industrial facilities are disproportionately poor and more likely to be Black.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Kaila Austin wants to turn a contaminated wasteland that’s been polluted for nearly a century back into a lush expanse of nature for generations of Norwood Place residents to enjoy.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024
Fact check:No, study doesn't show electric cars pollute 1,850 times as much as gas cars
Why are gas prices going back up?
Spokesperson for AAA, Andrew Gross, told USA TODAY that the most recent price increase is no surprise.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Polluting factors should not be developed near vulnerable communities, and in the meantime, pregnant women would benefit from staying away from polluting sites (like downwind of highways) as much as possible.
—Jeremy Ney, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
The residents of a spa town are trying to prevent a local doctor, Dr. Stockmann, from telling the truth about a factory that's polluting the local water supply.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
So that the ride will finally stop polluting the environment at the same time, is even more special.
—Germain Lussier / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Alyssa Hui, Verywell Health, 19 Apr. 2024
Canary Media’s Maria Gallucci, meanwhile, wrote about America’s first all-electric tugboat, which is about to launch at the Port of San Diego and could help replace hugely polluting diesel tugboats.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Previous assessments from the EPA and public health experts have also noted that people living near polluting industrial facilities are disproportionately poor and more likely to be Black.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Kaila Austin wants to turn a contaminated wasteland that’s been polluted for nearly a century back into a lush expanse of nature for generations of Norwood Place residents to enjoy.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024
Fact check:No, study doesn't show electric cars pollute 1,850 times as much as gas cars
Why are gas prices going back up?
Spokesperson for AAA, Andrew Gross, told USA TODAY that the most recent price increase is no surprise.
—USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
Polluting factors should not be developed near vulnerable communities, and in the meantime, pregnant women would benefit from staying away from polluting sites (like downwind of highways) as much as possible.
—Jeremy Ney, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024
The residents of a spa town are trying to prevent a local doctor, Dr. Stockmann, from telling the truth about a factory that's polluting the local water supply.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
So that the ride will finally stop polluting the environment at the same time, is even more special.
—Germain Lussier / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pollute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pollute
Cite this Entry
“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollute. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pollute
verb
pol·lute
pə-ˈlüt 
polluted; polluting
: to make impure
especially
: to spoil (as a natural resource) with waste made by humans
industrial wastes polluted the river
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