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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befouled
Adjective
-
Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025 -
The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That number includes children, who represent 16 percent of those poisoned and 27 percent of all fatalities.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
-
And guess what, hospitals are seeing cases of vitamin A toxicity — of kids poisoned by being fed too many vitamins instead of being vaccinated.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
-
Seen from there, the sandstone pylons of Luxor’s temple rose to an open sky, eternally patient in the dusty, pearlescent light.—
Chris Wallace,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Down a dusty street in Jereif West, Fatima Bahlawi, 20 months old, lay wailing in her mother’s arms, waving limbs that were thin as sticks.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The two groups meet on a muddy basketball court, and fight.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Apr. 2025
-
She’s worn her pair over muddy trails, through waterfalls, and more.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Tom Hardy stars in the neo-noir crime thriller as a corrupt detective named Walker, who shoots, punches, and drop-kicks his way through an entire criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of dirty politician Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker).—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Nearly every dish/pan in the place was dirty multiple times a day.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This Trevisani has a bushy black mustache, an olive complexion, and a broad forehead.—
Domenico Starnone,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Belair seems to have subtly leaned into her unprecedented turn by wearing black during recent shows.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Befouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouled. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share