contaminate
verb (used with object)
to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc..
has contaminated
-
present perfectof contaminate (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Uranium was processed in St. Louis starting at the onset of World War II as America raced to develop nuclear bombs, and the waste has contaminated a creek, a landfill and other properties.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2023
Marissa Moss: And he's very befuddled and confused and he thinks something has contaminated his work.
From Scientific American ● Sep. 7, 2023
Mercury from the plant has contaminated the seabed, a 2020 report by Tuscany's environmental protection agency said, while a 2017 finding by the Institute for Coastal Marine Environment said the material discharged threatened seagrass.
From Reuters ● Aug. 21, 2023
Sergeyich finally decides it is time to leave the village when he notices his bees are producing bitter honey — burned gunpowder has contaminated the pollen they collect.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2022
Environmentalists say that for decades Canadian mining has contaminated downstream waters, killing and deforming fish.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 13, 2019
