adulterated 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrā-təd How to pronounce adulterated (audio)
Definition of adulteratednext
as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances the outbreak of food poisoning was traced to adulterated ground beef

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adulterated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of adulterate
as in diluted
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances the company was fined for adulterating its "all beef" frankfurters with cereal

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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 adulterated
Adjective
Navarro, who pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in August, was sentenced Friday in Manhattan by federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil for being part of a conspiracy to distribute and administer adulterated and misbranded drugs for racehorses. — Stephen Edelson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2021
Verb
Though some guests may appreciate a starter kit with unused and sealed products, such as snacks and cold beverages, Jones said the kitchen should be cleared of all food items in case they have been contaminated or adulterated. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2026 The risk rises sharply when leaf products are adulterated or spiked with concentrated 7-OH (see below). — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The vast majority – 89% – showed signs of being adulterated with other, cheaper oils, such as soybean oil. — Maria Godoy, NPR, 21 July 2026 Some olive oils are adulterated, which means other substances may be added to them to lower the quality—and often manufacturing costs—while increasing the amount in the bottle. — Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 27 Apr. 2026 Naloxone, the active drug in Narcan, is only effective on opioids and not on stimulants like cocaine, which would suggest the substance Dick used was adulterated with an opiate such as fentanyl. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026 Fruits, leafy greens and other produce can become adulterated with listeria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of said growing area to livestock, USA TODAY previously reported. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 Food and/or ice adulterated or contaminated. — Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterated
  1. polluted
  2. diluted
  3. contaminated
  4. dilute
  5. tainted
  6. mixed
  7. blended
Adjective
  • One of the singular features of Baotou, an industrial city of 2 million people in Inner Mongolia, is a 10-square-kilometer (4-square-mile) lake that is among the most polluted in the world.
    — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Lahn, who was endorsed early in his primary by political committee MAHA Action, has diverged from many of his Republican peers in directly linking polluted water and agrochemicals to Iowa’s cancer crisis.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of polluted
Verb
  • But Oakley’s approach diluted a lot of that pressure for the cast.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Existing stakeholders had to be mollified so that F1’s prize fund could grow to accommodate a new team rather than be diluted.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of diluted
Adjective
  • To break the chains of infections stemming from contaminated needles, Soqo has proposed supplying thousands of sterile needles and syringes to communities of methamphetamine users.
    — David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • After our investigation, my colleagues and I published a paper describing the anthrax cases from contaminated mail.
    — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of contaminated
Adjective
  • Finally, the third recruits seaweed to gather minerals that are otherwise too dilute to chase.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 July 2026
  • Clean and disinfect your pruning shears between working on each plant by dipping them into a dilute 10% solution of chlorine bleach water or rubbing alcohol.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
Definition of dilute
Adjective
  • Some say that our country is too tainted and that political progress can be had only by extra-legal means.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Many Coloradans spent the last few months changing their diets, avoiding produce in fear of tainted food, as nearly 20,000 people across the country were sick after a historic cyclospora outbreak that came from contaminated lettuce.
    — Jaimie Dodge, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of tainted
Adjective
  • In the cursed days of auto-sync, pre-mixed sets, and the celebrity spinner, few have done as much to defend the noble art of the DJ as Felix Manuel, aka Djrum, a selector who combines galactically expansive taste with equally vast technical skill.
    — Ben Cardew, Pitchfork, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Reaction was mixed, with one organizer raising the importance of Black fraternities and sororities on campus.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of mixed
Adjective
  • Located within Huafon’s industrial footprint, the site will use Circ’s technology to recover both the cotton and polyester components of blended textile waste.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The blended water is expected to contain approximately 20% to 40% from the Susquehanna River, mixed with reservoir water.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of blended

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Cite this Entry

“Adulterated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterated. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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