violate

verb

ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce violate (audio)
Definition of violatenext
1
as in to break
to fail to keep you've violated the company's rule against smoking within 30 feet of the building

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to desecrate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect the invaders violated the temple by using it to stable their horses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to rape
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent criminal statutes delineating acts that constitute violating another person

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of violate Rights groups say the ​crackdown has violated free speech and due process rights and created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, ​who have raised concerns about racial profiling. — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026 Owners will face fines between $200 and $500 if outdoor dining structures violate sanitary conditions. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 But Stearns argued the incidents highlighted by the government overwhelmingly occurred during the 2023-2024 school year and did not prove the school has persistently violated the law. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 He was suspended six games last season for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for violate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violate
  1. break
  2. desecrate
  3. rape
  4. breach
  5. destroy
  6. assault
  7. contravene
  8. defile
Verb
  • De Lutiis scored himself in the 58th, backing up in support at the perfect time after an Australian attacking raid that started with flyhalf Carter Gordon breaking the defensive line and running 30 meters toward the right corner flag.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The ship may break a record for the longest trip away from its home port for a US carrier since the Vietnam War.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of break
Verb
  • After desecrating the statue, the vandal returns the hammer to his pocket, scales the fence and flees into the night, the footage shows.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • After desecrating a sacred hunting ground in their youth, four Blackfeet men are visited by dire consequences in adulthood.
    — Hannah Whitten, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of desecrate
Verb
  • Prosecutors said Williams raped and strangled Holland after offering her mother $2,500 for the child to perform oral sex on him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Conahan was arrested in February 1997, accused of raping Montgomery, strangling him and cutting off his genitals to eliminate DNA tracing.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of rape
Verb
  • A little more than two hours after the 911 call, with a regional SWAT team and Cowley County sheriff’s deputies joining the standoff, authorities breached the home and found the bodies, DeLong said.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026
  • And among the organizations breached last year, one in five traced the breach to an AI tool no one had signed off on.
    — Keegan Crage, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of breach
Verb
  • Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Police say the victim courageously fought for her life and escaped to the breezeway of the apartment, screaming for help as Reyes continued to assault her.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to the federal investigations, Mills has been accused of misrepresenting his military record, engaging in unethical business dealings, assaulting a girlfriend and stalking an ex-girlfriend.
    — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of assault
Verb
  • The ban contravenes advice from the World ​Health Organization, which advises against travel or trade restrictions with ​Congo, where officials are currently struggling to contain a large ⁠outbreak of Ebola.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
  • The tickets, purchased by a staff member of the non-profit, had not yet been released, and the letter added that contravening FIFA’s trademark and policies may result in them not being released at all to the buyer.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Definition of contravene
Verb
  • To defile the legacy of his family and that family name is sickening, and turns my stomach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
  • The Tesla’s desecration follows a vandalism spree in Queens that saw religious centers, homes and vehicles defiled with swastikas and antisemitic slogans last month.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026
Definition of defile

Browse Nearby Words

violable
violate
violated
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Cite this Entry

“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violate. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of violate for Spanish Speakers

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