1. to make something dirty, polluted, or poisonous by adding harmful or undesirable substances
Usage: third person singular present tense of ‘contaminate’

Examples

• The factory contaminates the river with chemical waste.
• Poor hygiene contaminates food and causes illness.
• The oil spill contaminates miles of coastline.
• Bacteria contaminates the water supply during floods.
• The leak contaminates the soil around the storage tank.
• Cross-contamination occurs when raw meat contaminates other foods.