How to Use contain in a Sentence

contain

verb
  • The movie contains something for both children and adults.
  • The room was barely big enough to contain everyone who came to the meeting.
  • State health officials have succeeded in containing the virus.
  • The article contains information on how to plan your retirement.
  • The book contains over 200 recipes.
  • The park contains a canal and a pond.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The books may contain adult themes.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The books may contain adult themes.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
  • If that pub has a low roof, then the sound is contained.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Be sure to use straw and not hay, which contains many weed seeds.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Most of these contain bleach and aren't safe to use on rubber.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
  • But the gesture contains its own gloss.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Cal Fire said the blaze was 0% contained.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
  • Left alone, that erosion does not stay contained.
    — Juliette Han, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • Wars in that region rarely stay contained.
    — Shawn Vandiver, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Instead, here’s how to contain the spread.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • That every boom contains its echo.
    — Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Its role is to contain Arctic air near the pole.
    — Brandi D. Addison, Freep.com, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Not every poll has contained dire news for Democrats.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Salmon contains more omega-3 fatty acids that help brain and heart health.
    — Carley Millhone, Health, 10 Jan. 2026
  • In that case, the cover is enough to contain the foam or bead filling.
    — Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2023
  • Parts of the next two paragraphs contain spoilers for the film.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • Seeds Like nuts, seeds also contain some choline.
    — Merve Ceylan, Health, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The video does not contain audio and the student's face has been blurred.
    — Caroll Alvarado, CNN, 9 Sep. 2022
  • This contains a walk-in shower, a sink, and a toilet.
    — New Atlas, 11 Jan. 2026
  • At one point, a brown bag containing the tracker was thrown from the car.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
  • While foods such as salmon and trout contain it, some beverages do, too.
    — Sarah Garone, Health, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Gordillo does note that most—if not all—chronic wounds contain biofilms.
    — Max G. Levy, Wired, 23 Feb. 2022
  • Cherries contain cyanide in their pits, stems and leaves, which is toxic to dogs.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • Tablets are pressed into shape, rather than being contained.
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: