as in filthy
not clean
given the task of cleaning the animals' befouled pens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stained
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluted
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
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Recent Examples of befouled
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Adjective
The Twits, simply trying to promote their befouled business interests, launch a campaign to restore past greatness.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befouled
Adjective
-
Jackson Lamb has long, greasy hair and a pot belly over which hangs a filthy old trench coat.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
On the other end, Ja’Marr Chase is coming off an absolutely filthy touchdown grab last Sunday.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Look for products with one or more of those ingredients, and always test first on a small, inconspicuous area to ensure your carpet won’t be damaged or stained.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Napier’s tenure was also stained by one of the biggest snafus of the name, image and likeness era.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That includes farmers who have had sludge from water treatment plants spread on their land containing PFAS, fire departments, airports and municipalities, people who own land that was polluted by PFAS originating from another nearby property or waste facilities that accepted PFAS.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women in cobalt-mining regions have reported reproductive-health concerns such as miscarriages and birth defects; cobalt mining has also polluted croplands.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Verb
-
The ashes from the crematorium chimney covered the streets, sooted the rain, dirtied the snow, damaged the crops, infected every body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Although the beast’s soul has been sealed, its husk has poisoned the futuristic Sky City Toyko, leaving it quarantined under the control of a task force known as the Divine Dragon Order (DDO), led by Ryu himself.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
-
One of the jurors said deliberations were poisoned by a belief among some jurors that a member of the panel had been paid off by Weinstein or his lawyers.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This is not a dusty collection or hodgepodge of Gold Rush artifacts placed around a xeriscape.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The old shelves with their dusty cans were gone, replaced by three wooden pillars, each with a small platform at chest height.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Manzur encourages that the water be sullied as part of their exhibition to the public.—
Mario Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
-
But that historical moment was sullied when journalist Sarah Hagi posted screenshots of old X posts from Gascón, which contained racist and Islamophobic sentiments.—
James Factora,
Them.,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouled. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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