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
Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The Twits, simply trying to promote their befouled business interests, launch a campaign to restore past greatness.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled.
—Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befouled
Adjective
-
This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Rodents, roaches, flies and knives stored in filthy places were among the myriad violations on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed state inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Over time, plastic containers can become scratched, stained, or damaged, and that starts to pose a food safety risk, explains Dragomir Markovic, food scientist and founder of Wise Intake.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
5 Feb. 2026
-
His house in Minneapolis sits between two neighborhoods stained by bloodshed where Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were killed by federal immigration officers during a surge of immigration enforcement that has ignited outrage and protests across the country.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Public spaces are routinely polluted by blaring music packed with profanity and racial slurs, and no one thinks twice about it.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In November, detainees at the facility sued, alleging the facility is polluted by sewage leaks and insect infestations, and that detainees can’t get proper medical attention for life-threatening conditions.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
21 Jan. 2026
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
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Last year, though, the Anthropic team inadvertently poisoned its own well by allowing the Jones Foods experiment, in which Claude faked its way through retraining, into the data set.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Spanish was the primary language for more than 60% of people poisoned, according to the health department.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hues like blush and dusty rose pair well with sandy neutrals, soft grays, and even more saturated colors like teal and fuchsia.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Many objects are very dusty, many objects are located behind dust-rich regions of our own galaxy, and dust itself is a physical object made out of particles with a range of grain sizes.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those campaigns were seemingly effective; crowds in South Beach last March were much smaller than in the past, when multiple spring break periods had been sullied by shootings, stampedes and curfews.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The publicity emails sent from Amazon regarding the movie have no individual names or email addresses attached, as though no one wanted their career or personal brand sullied by association.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouled. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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