pollute
verb (used with object)
to make foul or unclean, especially with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty.
were 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 1981, Arco noted in a memo that tanks were polluting the U.S. water supply with toxic chemicals such as benzene.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2023
The cleanup included bottles and bags, ghost nets, fishing lines, aluminum cans, lost towels and other odd items, including a beach lounger, that were polluting coastal waters.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2022
The state later acknowledged hundreds of the approved operations were polluting federally protected underground water supplies.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 23, 2017
In Fiji, Greenpeace alleges Chinese fishing trawlers are devastating tuna and shark stocks, while landowners from Momi told the Fijian Broadcasting Association that Cloud 9′s operators were polluting their custodial fishing grounds.
From Time ● Aug. 28, 2013
It was characteristic of him, though he knew on how precarious a thread his life was hanging, that disgust at the foul breaths with which they were polluting the atmosphere was his first dominant emotion.
From Bucky O'Connor by William MacLeod Raine
