pesticide

Definition of pesticidenext
as in poison
a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops The family farm has gradually moved away from the use of pesticides.

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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 pesticide The same is true of the price of pesticide, which is brought into Gaza via informal channels and sold by traders at a steep markup. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 Introduced crawling through the Trask family’s field, her black blood spattering their rich soil like a human pesticide, Cathy personifies the series’ potent blend of dread and beauty. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026 Scientists continue to trace significant amounts of this once-popular pesticide in present-day dolphins and coastal-feeding condors, and a recent study linked its presence to an aggressive cancer in California sea lions. — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Under that state law, a jury had required chemical giant Monsanto to pay more than $1 million in compensation to a person who had been harmed by exposure to glyphosate, a pesticide sold under the commercial name Roundup. — Patrick Parenteau, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pesticide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide
Noun
  • Bots already spread poison on the web for whichever government wants it.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • On the floor, there is a plate with poison/chemical for rat, mop sink room.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Researchers found that 40% of the 97 participants had higher concentrations of a toxicant associated with the defunct LCP Chemicals plant than the national average.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • The ash from open burning can also contaminate soil and groundwater with persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and other toxicants, creating more chances for people to be exposed to them through food and water.
    — Ellen M. Considine, The Conversation, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • Before releasing the ferrets, scientists dust prairie dog burrows with insecticide and scatter food pellets laced with fipronil, the same chemical used in flea control among pets.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • An insecticide dust, which comes in a squeeze bottle, is another option for stubborn nests.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In those areas, IDOT mows less often, applies targeted herbicides to invasive plants, and in some instances sows milkweed seed and other native plants.
    — Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • His opponent is the incumbent, Mike Naig, a former lobbyist for Monsanto, the industrial giant that marketed Roundup, a weed killer that in some cases contains the controversial herbicide glyphosate.
    — Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Depending on the species, that could mean breeding animals in captivity and releasing them, restoring habitat, managing disease, or controlling invasive species.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Beeswax, honey, and pollen each possess their own particular antimicrobial and chemical properties that, taken together, repel disease and encourage helpful fungi.
    — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Both can be treated by improving soil structure, enhancing drainage, adjusting watering practices, or treating affected plants with a fungicide, says Vasylchyshyna.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 26 Sep. 2026
  • If pests or diseases like fungal infections are to blame, the next step is to apply an appropriate fungicide or natural pesticide.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There’s a real opportunity in the fourth episode to do something fun, or at least interesting, when Tyson convinces Russ to join him in smoking hallucinatory toad venom, but no flair or flourishes emerge.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Spiders, for instance, have muscles surrounding their venom glands, which contract and eject venom through hollow fangs.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
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

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“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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