as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti
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Recent Examples of desecrate
In a town in northern Peru, a teenager addicted to video games begins to desecrate the sacred ruins of his ancestors in search of money to continue playing.
—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
The case intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of religious minorities, following recent incidents of soldiers desecrating Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.
—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.
—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
The Israeli military is investigating after a photo circulating on social media shows a soldier appearing to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary in Debel, Lebanon – the same town where Israeli soldiers were photographed destroying a crucifix last month.
—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
The case intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of religious minorities, following recent incidents of soldiers desecrating Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.
—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.
—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
The Israeli military is investigating after a photo circulating on social media shows a soldier appearing to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary in Debel, Lebanon – the same town where Israeli soldiers were photographed destroying a crucifix last month.
—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrate
violate
Verb
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Accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran balked at attending talks planned Friday, the first since the Iranian and US presidents signed the 14-clause memorandum of understanding (MoU) earlier in the week.
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The prior Minnesota Anti-SLAPP law required that the court make certain pre-trial factual findings which was held to violate the right to a jury trial.
Cite this Entry
“Desecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrate. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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