1
as in dilute
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
the pharmacist was convicted of selling adulterate drugs in order to maximize profits
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adulterous
relating to or being a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse
caught red-handed in what he claimed was his first adulterate encounter
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to dilute
to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances
the company was fined for adulterating its "all beef" frankfurters with cereal
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of adulterate
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2024
Additionally, some products might be adulterated or tainted with prescription-drug ingredients.15
14.
—Trang Tran, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2024
Prosecutors said 75% of the fentanyl given to patients at the clinic from June to October 2020 was adulterated by saline.
—Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
The practice of adulterating honey is well known, and historically adulterants such as ash and potato flour have been used.
—Daniel Matthews, Fortune Europe, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for adulterate 
Verb
Hanson was initially charged on April 26 with only one count of adulterating or contaminating food, which under Kansas law is a criminal threat.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2024
Additionally, some products might be adulterated or tainted with prescription-drug ingredients.15
14.
—Trang Tran, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2024
Prosecutors said 75% of the fentanyl given to patients at the clinic from June to October 2020 was adulterated by saline.
—Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
The practice of adulterating honey is well known, and historically adulterants such as ash and potato flour have been used.
—Daniel Matthews, Fortune Europe, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for adulterate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adulterate
Adjective
-
Vinegar, which is really dilute acetic acid, will help the milk curdle by further denaturing the whey proteins and neutralizing negative charges at the surface of casein micelles.—
Liz Roth-Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
12 Feb. 2013
-
However toxic a substance may be, the amount of exposure received by the general population is very dilute.—
George Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2013
Adjective
-
The new version strips down the book’s narrative, concentrating on the plight of an adulterous airline pilot (Cage) who’s forced to land a plane after all the good Christians are called up to heaven.—
Emily Heller,
Vulture,
12 July 2024
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The aforementioned two seasons of Big Little Lies featured Kidman as Celeste Wright, a rich former lawyer and now Monterrey stay-at-home mom with an abusive, adulterous, and freshly dead husband that’s all based on a Liane Moriarty novel.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
13 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
Activists behind the suit against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) say that the wastewater contains metal and polluting chemicals used at the south Texas launch site.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
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No matter the political complications, countries continued to deploy clean energy at a rapid clip this year driven by economics (renewables are often cheaper than fossil fuels) and energy-security concerns (producing clean electricity at home means less reliance on polluting imports).—
Justin Worland,
TIME,
26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Prosecutors, however, emphasized her extramarital affairs and demeanor, presenting male witnesses who described her as provocative and seductive.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
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Ali’s personal life — his marriages, extramarital affairs and relationships with his children — were evidence of another conflict for the man.—
Mikal Gilmore,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
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And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
-
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and many other surrounding districts have canceled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics for Wednesday, The Charlotte Observer reported.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Jan. 2025
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To land your first job, highlight examples of your real-world experiences, like leadership in extracurricular activities or volunteer work.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Before pruning the rest of the tree, sanitize your pruners by dipping the blades into a diluted bleach solution or a cup of 70% isopropyl alcohol.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Jan. 2025
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Unlike human identities managed by centralized IAM systems, NHIs are often created ad hoc by various teams, leading to inconsistent governance and diluted accountability.—
Gregory Webb,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, boiling contaminated water can exacerbate the problem by breaking open the bacteria and releasing more toxins.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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However, some illegitimate brands may sell contaminated or mislabeled products.—
Rowan Briggs,
The Mercury News,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near adulterate
Cite this Entry
“Adulterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adulterate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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