1
as in desecration
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
for two centuries the Christian monasteries in England suffered defilements at the hands of Viking invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contamination
something that is or that makes impure
souvenir shops, observation towers, and other tacky defilements on Civil War battlefields that should be considered hallowed ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defilement
In this way, Lapid keeps the emotional aspect of Y’s self-defilement at the forefront of the drama.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement
Noun
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However, the Supreme Court in several cases has struck down any improper use or desecration of the flag on the grounds of free speech, according to the Library of Congress’ most frequently asked questions about flag law.—
Darleene Powells,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
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He was charged in Linn County, Kansas with interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration and having a vicious dog at large.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Left unmanaged, coal waste routinely triggers water contamination, airborne dust pollution, and spontaneous fires.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
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Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers, sold at retailers like Walmart and Kroger, were initially pulled from shelves in May due to potential metal contamination.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
15 June 2026
Noun
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The California Fair Political Practices Commission said 34 of the violations were for failing to report on time that Newsom and his staff directed outreach from companies and foundations that wanted to help after the Los Angeles wildfires to the California Fire Foundation.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Stanley’s statement came amidst a major lawsuit by the NAACP against Grok’s parent company, xAI, for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
18 June 2026
Noun
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There are biological contaminants, and that’s anything that’s a living organism.—
Kat Tretina,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
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The material contains heavy metals and other contaminants, including arsenic, mercury, lead, lithium and molybdenum.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
Noun
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This was a weak case for blasphemy.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
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The president later removed the post in the face of outrage and accusations of blasphemy.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Murray was one of the founding members of People in Need of Environmental Safety (PINES), a local advocacy group, which has pushed NIPSCO to mitigate and properly test for arsenic levels and other pollutants linked to coal ash disposal.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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Trump has touted coal as clean in the past, but experts say coal emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and several other pollutants.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Noun
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The polarizing organization trudged through a corruption trial and attempted to file for bankruptcy in the past decade.—
Stephen Gutowski,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
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But there is a growing protest movement against the project, which is on public land and many Albanians view it as government corruption.—
Greg Dixon,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Noun
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But by then, religious and political leaders from around the world condemned the image, some calling it a sacrilege.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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That might sound like sacrilege, because the NFL is beyond criticism for many sports fans, but the draft is the ideal example of what the league has become and the importance of gambling to modern audiences.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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