desecrate

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verb des·e·crate \ˈde-si-ˌkrāt\

Definition of desecrate

desecrated

;

desecrating

transitive verb
1 : to violate the sanctity of : profane desecrate a shrine a cemetery desecrated by vandals
2 : to treat disrespectfully, irreverently, or outrageously … the kind of shore development … that has desecrated so many waterfronts … — John Fischer

desecrater

desecrator

play \-ˌkrā-tər\ noun

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Examples of desecrate in a Sentence

The vandals were accused of desecrating graves.
vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti

Recent Examples of desecrate from the Web

When a Jewish cemetery was desecrated in St. Louis earlier this year, among those raising money and investing their energies in its restoration were Muslims.

— robert king, Indianapolis Star, "A call to Muslim Ramadan prayer in a most unusual place", 23 June 2017
Since the tombstones — and sometimes even the contents of the graves — had been desecrated, damaged or removed, Mr. Izzo has made restoring both graveyards his life’s work.

— robin pogrebin, New York Times, "He Tends Venice’s Jewish History. She Filmed Him.", 30 May 2017
A third piece suggests shattered bathtubs or maybe desecrated baptismal fonts.

— New York Times, "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week", 10 May 2017
Today, protestors for illegal immigration desecrated an American flag at Marshall Park.

— joe marusak, charlotteobserver, "Woman dragging flag at immigration rally draws congressman’s ire", 1 May 2017
One stone in one cemetery being desecrated is one stone too many.

— Newsweek, "April 28 Issue", 28 Apr. 2017
One stone in one cemetery being desecrated is one stone too many.

— Newsweek, "April 28 Issue", 28 Apr. 2017
Radich was arrested and eventually convicted of desecrating the flag.

— joan acocella, The New Yorker, "Stephen Petronio Revives Yvonne Rainer’s “Trio A with Flags”", 27 Mar. 2017
Among the efforts are multiple bills in New York that include heightened penalties for desecrating a religious cemetery and a broad array of new punishments contemplated in Connecticut.

— jon kamp, WSJ, "States Move to Strengthen Laws in Response to Rise in Hate Crimes", 23 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desecrate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.