pollute
verb (used with object)
to make foul or unclean, especially with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty.
has polluted
-
present perfectof pollute (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.
Tijuana sewage has polluted U.S. waters for decades, but until recently was confined primarily to Imperial Beach, near the border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
AI slop has polluted the internet by flooding it with content that blurs lines between real and fake.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025
Colombian energy giant Ecopetrol has polluted hundreds of sites with oil, including water sources and biodiverse wetlands, the BBC World Service has found.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2025
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the state had secured millions in additional funds to address the ongoing Tijuana River sewage crisis that has polluted the coast in San Diego County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024
Towards the conclusion of the article these words occurred: The Editor "has polluted his pages with the blasphemies of a poor maniac, who, it seems, once published some detached scenes of the 'Broken Heart.'"
From A Publisher and His Friends Memoir and Correspondence of John Murray; with an Account of the Origin and Progress of the House, 1768-1843 by Samuel Smiles
