befoul

verb

bi-ˈfau̇(-ə)l How to pronounce befoul (audio)
Definition of befoulnext
1
as in to stain
to make dirty unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable the enemy had befouled the water in all of the area's wells with animal carcasses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 befoul They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled. — Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026 The natural world may be past saving, particularly as a habitat for the species that has so utterly befouled it, and, yet, what else is there to do but keep on keeping on? — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025 Capitalism is degrading us, killing us and befouling our world. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 June 2023 This roman à clef series begins with the patriarch of the Roy clan, Logan (Brian Cox), urinating on a carpet (evoking The Big Lebowski, befouling us). — Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2023 See All Example Sentences for befoul
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befoul
  1. stain
  2. pollute
  3. blacken
  4. dirty
  5. sully
  6. besmirch
  7. soil
  8. muck
Verb
  • Bookshelves are crammed with novels and almanacs, the wood boards of the ceilings stained dark in delicious contrast to the clean white walls and creamy linen furnishings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The yellow color from the fenbendazole stained his white goatee.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • In a world riven by democratic backsliding and polluted with AI slop, there’s something seductive about the idea of retreating to a wild, unnavigable place where no one can follow you—because you’ll be submerged up to your eyeballs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Throwing a piece of garbage out of the window affects every Texan, polluting water and soil and affecting wildlife.
    — Katie Standing, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of pollute
Verb
  • Footage shot later at daybreak showed the house gutted, charred and blackened from the inside out.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • After the first killing frost blackens their foliage, wait for a dry day and gently lift them with a garden fork.
    — Pam Rosendal, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of blacken
Verb
  • To even wade into the arguments might dirty your hands, and mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Perhaps the squad took his ball-respecting mantra to its logical extreme, seemingly reluctant to sully it by smashing it into the net, with Chelsea recording the biggest xG underperformance in the Premier League during his brief tenure.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Seaver is also named in a lawsuit accusing him of threatening to sully his aunt’s legacy and harm her employees, according to documents viewed by People.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of sully
Verb
  • Our nation’s capital is besmirched, on his say-so, with signs and banners bearing his likeness and name.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Troubled by all the people besmirching the occupation, a group of agents formed a national trade group in 1908—the one eventually known as NAR.
    — Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of besmirch
Verb
  • Emily Cassidy, research associate at climate solutions nonprofit Project Drawdown, said composting offers the dual benefits of reducing landfill methane emissions and, once the composting process is complete, returning nutrients to soil.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Heavily soiled laundry like muddy workwear can also benefit from warmer water.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of soil
Verb
  • He's been mucking about with them for going on 60 years, and decided to enter the contest for the first time in 2025.
    — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But a second straight dud season would really muck things up.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of muck

Browse Nearby Words

before long
befoul
befouled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Befoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befoul. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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