Thesaurus results for PESTICIDE

pesticide

noun

Definition of pesticide

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 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 Control Apple maggot flies are closely monitored in susceptible regions, and small outbreaks can sometimes be managed without conventional pesticides. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pesticide

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pesticide

Noun

Previous strategies for growing plants on Mars included rinsing these poisons out, bringing supplemental fertilizers from Earth, or avoiding Martian soil entirely and using hydroponics.

— Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
The first image from the episode (see it above) shows Butters in what appears to be his backyard with the X-Pest exterminator guy, who has strapped on his tank of poison and has his sprayer wand at the ready.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of poison

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

Definition of toxicant

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

Definition of insecticide

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

Definition of herbicide

Noun

Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia are difficult to study, in part because diagnosing the disease early in people is challenging.

— Julie Moreno, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
Younger demographics are being diagnosed with increasing cases of colon cancer, and people of color face disproportionately higher mortality rates from the disease.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of disease

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

Definition of fungicide

Noun

The story begins in 1990, when John Eng, an endocrinologist at the Veterans Administration, isolated a peptide from the venom of Gila monsters, the nearly two-foot-long lizards native to the Southwest.

— Dr. Bowman Heiden, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
However, the brown recluse and black widow spiders do have dangerous venom.

— Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of venom

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 toxic

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pesters

pesticide

pesticides

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“Pesticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pesticide. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pesticide

noun

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