as in virus
sickness that can be passed from one person, plant, or animal to another
The rumors spread like a contagion.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contagion
The episode opens on a very mysterious note introducing a new way in which the Cordyceps contagion manages to transmit itself.
—
Matt Minton, Variety, 12 May 2025
Research shows that emotional contagion isn’t limited to face-to-face encounters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
His death fixation seems more of a motivation than does Angry Alan’s quasi logic, which grips him through his laptop—even though the director Sam Gold and the video designer Lucy Mackinnon underline these moments of contagion by flooding the stage with a projection of glitching red static.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
That's a technical term in public health for contagions that have been well-controlled for 12 months or more.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for contagion
Matt Minton, Variety, 12 May 2025
Research shows that emotional contagion isn’t limited to face-to-face encounters.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
His death fixation seems more of a motivation than does Angry Alan’s quasi logic, which grips him through his laptop—even though the director Sam Gold and the video designer Lucy Mackinnon underline these moments of contagion by flooding the stage with a projection of glitching red static.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
That's a technical term in public health for contagions that have been well-controlled for 12 months or more.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for contagion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contagion
Noun
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In this sense, AI would act like a virus that mutates against a vaccine.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
24 July 2025
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The virus can live on surfaces for two hours after exposure.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Climate change, poverty, the savaged middle class, plagues and the rise of A.I. need to be faced now with far more vigor than when they were first realized back in my youth.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
16 July 2025
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What’s the difference between bubonic and pneumonic plague?—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
15 July 2025
Noun
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Symptoms in healthy individuals include fever, diarrhea (occasionally bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, according to the FDA.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
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For those experiencing less severe infections, symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which often last between one and three days, the FDA said.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contagion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contagion. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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