performance-enhancing drug
noun
: a substance (such as an anabolic steroid, human growth hormone, or erythropoietin) that is used illicitly to improve athletic performance
In the United States, more than 1 million elite and recreational athletes use performance-enhancing drugs for muscle building purposes.—
Josiah D. Rich et al.
Josiah D. Rich et al.…33 of the 48 major and minor league players suspended by baseball for using performance-enhancing drugs since the start of 2006 were pitchers.—Sean Gregory
Sean GregoryRoger Bannister, the first person to run a subpar four-minute mile, said today he thought that increased use of blood testing could help curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs by track and field athletes.—The New York Times
—abbreviation PED
The New York TimesExamples of performance-enhancing drug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Enhanced Games made a splashy debut in 2023, promising an annual event that allows competitors to use performance-enhancing drugs and features track and field, swimming, weightlifting and other sports.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 5 July 2024
Bolt earned a total of eight gold medals in his career (his ninth was rescinded after a relay teammate was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs) with a number of wins in the world championships.
—Matthew Acosta, Peoplemag, 1 July 2024
None of the riders in this article have been popped for using performance-enhancing drugs.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 28 June 2024
Republicans have floated the idea of Biden’s taking performance-enhancing drugs for months — particularly after the president’s State of the Union speech in March, which Biden allies hoped would help address doubts about his age.
—Hannah Knowles, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for performance-enhancing drug 
Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 5 July 2024
Bolt earned a total of eight gold medals in his career (his ninth was rescinded after a relay teammate was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs) with a number of wins in the world championships.
—Matthew Acosta, Peoplemag, 1 July 2024
None of the riders in this article have been popped for using performance-enhancing drugs.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 28 June 2024
Republicans have floated the idea of Biden’s taking performance-enhancing drugs for months — particularly after the president’s State of the Union speech in March, which Biden allies hoped would help address doubts about his age.
—Hannah Knowles, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for performance-enhancing drug
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'performance-enhancing drug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Performance-enhancing drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/performance-enhancing%20drug. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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