pollute
verb (used with object)
to make foul or unclean, especially with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty.
was polluting
-
past progressiveof pollute.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
In 1971, he moved to Minamata, Japan, a coastal city where methylmercury discharged by a chemical company was polluting the water and causing horrendous genetic damage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Engineers also found some stray light was polluting pictures when the observatory was pointed in a certain way.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2023
State and federal regulators knew the mill was polluting groundwater almost immediately after it started operating, but years passed before they informed residents and demanded fixes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2022
The TVA had been fighting a lawsuit claiming the coal ash was polluting the Cumberland River, a source of drinking water for Nashville downstream.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2019
Ross said the Levi’s plant was polluting the water with toxic dyes.
From New York Times ● Feb. 25, 2019
