virus

noun

Definition of virusnext
as in disease

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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 virus But after the delta and omicron waves of the virus in the summer and fall of 2021, the state climbed to eighth in deaths per capita. — Liv Coleman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 Rabies is a virus that is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms occur, the CDC said. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 With a statewide outbreak, the health department has reached out to school nurses to be prepared for any cases and know who to call in that event, as schools are a front line for the virus. — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Reports suggest that on average, one infected person in Fiji will pass the virus on to 10 others. — David Cox, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for virus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virus
  1. disease
  2. contagion
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
  • In the bleak postapocalyptic landscape of Volume III, the governments of the planet have failed to work together to contain the contagion, leading to the breakdown of societies, civil war and anarchy.
    — Eileen Hunt, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Or the borrowing rush to build AI is an early outbreak of a credit contagion of the sort that broke containment in 2008.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of contagion

Browse Nearby Words

virulently
virus
viruses
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Cite this Entry

“Virus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virus. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on virus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about virus

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