CONTAMINATING Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

contaminating

verb

present participle of contaminate

as in polluting

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable a supply of drinking water that was contaminated by a toxic waste dump

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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 contaminating Tiny pieces may begin to fall off, contaminating your food, while those with a crack in them can foster bacteria growth. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Even the regular, gluten pizzas are tossed with rice flour, to avoid wheat flour contaminating the surfaces in the kitchen. — Elizabeth MacBride, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Once the gold is separated, the mercury is released into the rivers, contaminating water sources and fish essential to Indigenous life. — Gabriela Sa Pessoa, Fortune, 24 July 2026 This methane could collect in the same cold pockets where ice and ancient molecules have been collected for billions of years, possibly contaminating this finite, scientific evidence. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 July 2026 The district, which plans to send out an inspector, could determine whether wind carrying coal dust stored nearby may be contaminating the sugar. — Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 Barrera hasn’t turned on Quintero’s air conditioner for fear of contaminating the house. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 Humans, on the other hand, are almost like an invasive species, with air filters lining the floors changing out all of the factory’s air in just a single minute to make sure those bags of flesh and blood don’t release too many contaminating particles. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 June 2026 But across Oklahoma, the fluid is spreading uncontrollably belowground, blasting out of old, unplugged wells, polluting land and contaminating drinking water. — Katie Campbell, ProPublica, 2 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminating

Verb

This novel legal approach, likened to a polluting factory, argues that AI chatbots cause mental harm, provide uncertified advice, and undermine public health and safety.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
This large mass will translate into higher quantities of polluting propellant needed to loft these systems off Earth and a much larger amount of metals vaporizing in Earth's atmosphere during reentry.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of polluting

Verb

See affected product Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually start six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
The burning of fossil fuels is poisoning the air our kids breathe and endangering their present and future by overheating our planet.

— Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of poisoning

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contaminates

contaminating

contamination

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“Contaminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminating. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of contaminating

verb

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