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
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled.
—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
Fennell also cut the novel’s frame story, in which the events of the story are told by the housekeeper Nelly (played in the movie by Hong Chau) to an outside observer years after all the sorrowful drama that befouled Heathcliff and Cathy.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
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
-
Kelli Bryant, 34, was facing three counts each of child abuse related to allegedly forcing her three children, a 15-year-old boy and a 13- and 12-year-old girl, to live in unbearable, filthy conditions in an apartment on Lydia Lane.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Other parts of the ballpark, including the exterior concourse and entrances, were also impacted by the filthy leaks, which stunk to high heaven.—
Gary Phillips,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even the best bath towels eventually become too worn out and stained to be regularly used.—
Rabekah Henderson,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The title comes from an awkward moment when their leader’s jeans were stained with menstrual blood.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump blamed Democrats, including Moore, for the spill that has polluted the river that cuts through Washington, DC.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
All the money in the world isn’t going to save you when the air is polluted and the water is undrinkable.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 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
-
Other witnesses could include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Turns out, Chris lied about touching a stone mid-play and has quietly poisoned every victory and memory the team has enjoyed since.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Timeless wood pieces, plush armchairs and headboards, and earthy yet optimistic color palettes (think ivory, spring green, tawny brown, and bronze) are both serene and cozy, without feeling dusty or overly trendy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Further investigation with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) whittled these galaxies down to 70 faint dusty galaxy candidates on the very edge of the cosmos, the majority of which had never been seen before.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Befouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouled. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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