as in poisoned
containing or contaminated with a substance capable of injuring or killing a living thing
some evil person was leaving out poisonous meat for neighborhood dogs to eat
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Recent Examples of poisonous
An Australian woman was on Monday convicted of murdering three elderly relatives of her estranged husband with a meal laced with poisonous mushrooms, and attempting to murder a fourth, in a case that gripped the country.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2025
On this week’s podcast, a look at the latest hustle from Trump’s son-in-law: a luxury resort with poisonous snakes
Read On
Highlight
Fashion Forward
In 1925, the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts turned Paris into a fashion wonderland nonpareil.
—Air Mail, 21 June 2025
Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three relatives with poisonous mushrooms following a trial that has gripped the world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 July 2025
The atmosphere in the Rockies’ clubhouse is not toxic, unlike Chicago’s, which reportedly was poisonous for much of last season.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Reuters, NBC news, 7 July 2025
On this week’s podcast, a look at the latest hustle from Trump’s son-in-law: a luxury resort with poisonous snakes
Read On
Highlight
Fashion Forward
In 1925, the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts turned Paris into a fashion wonderland nonpareil.
—Air Mail, 21 June 2025
Erin Patterson has been found guilty of murdering three relatives with poisonous mushrooms following a trial that has gripped the world.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 July 2025
The atmosphere in the Rockies’ clubhouse is not toxic, unlike Chicago’s, which reportedly was poisonous for much of last season.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poisonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poisonous
Adjective
-
Behavior and reproduction Most frogs are nocturnal, but not poison frogs.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
28 Feb. 2020
-
Some farmers even intentionally poison cranes to stop them from foraging in their crops.—
National Geographic,
National Geographic,
10 Feb. 2020
Adjective
-
Besides the Gitmo prosecution, which will now resume — assuming the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t side with KSM — also continuing is the agony for people whose health was damaged by the toxic cloud that rose over New York when the World Trade Center fell.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
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This felt therapeutic, an antidote to the toxic diet of overly personal information that we are fed daily by our phones.—
Guy Trebay,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Reports of their venomous bites have been greatly exaggerated.—
Tracy Scott Forson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 July 2025
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Only three states do not have venomous snakes: Alaska, Maine and Rhode Island.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poisonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poisonous. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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