as in cheating
a sexual encounter or relationship between a married person and someone other than their spouse
adultery is the cause of many divorces
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Recent Examples of adultery
Advertisement Both Paxton’s baggage and his history of using his office to troll Democrats is a central feature in the Republican primary, which has devolved into a barrage of personal attacks of betrayal, adultery, and corruption.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Ken Paxton, a Republican running for the Senate, denied the adultery allegations.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
The book presents itself as a comic take on the classic adultery novel and a send-up of a narrow, self-conscious group of downwardly mobile New Yorkers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
The initial batch of documents showed that Angela Paxton sought the divorce on the grounds that Ken Paxton had committed adultery, but included no additional details.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adultery
Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Ken Paxton, a Republican running for the Senate, denied the adultery allegations.
—Jane Harper, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
The book presents itself as a comic take on the classic adultery novel and a send-up of a narrow, self-conscious group of downwardly mobile New Yorkers.
—Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
The initial batch of documents showed that Angela Paxton sought the divorce on the grounds that Ken Paxton had committed adultery, but included no additional details.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for adultery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adultery
Noun
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There is no rampant cheating or election fraud in California.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Research shows that artificial intelligence tools can support learning, but also has raised concerns, including students’ overreliance, cheating, and the potential degradation of critical thinking and engagement.—
Jeanne Beatrix Law,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The costs of decades of misconduct by Chicago police have grown enormous as the city settles lawsuit after lawsuit using expensive private counsel to handle most of the work.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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And of course, Andrew being stripped of his titles and evicted from Royal Lodge, only to then be arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Burden’s family legacy was fractured by infidelity and a laissez faire attitude, at least in the public sphere, toward men behaving badly.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
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During the documentary, the former couple also discussed Odom's infidelity.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adultery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adultery. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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