befouling

verb

present participle of befoul
1
as in staining
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 polluting
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 befouling
  1. staining
  2. polluting
  3. blackening
  4. poisoning
  5. dirtying
  6. sullying
  7. soiling
  8. besmirching
Verb
  • The image above shows pinkish-orange guano staining large sections of some of the Danger Islands, Heroína Island and Beagle Island.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 30 July 2026
  • Water treatment systems that remove excess iron can dramatically reduce staining throughout your home.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
Definition of staining
Verb
  • To quickly get the facilities online, the company brought in heavily polluting gas turbines that residents complain is making the air hard to breathe.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Apart from polluting ecosystems and leaving toxic residues on human food sources, these aggressive chemicals drive pests to develop genetic resistance, rendering treatments ineffective over time.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • Check monthly for signs of shriveling (add moisture), blackening or softening (discard).
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • The Volcano fire was among blazes this week, blackening more than 100 acres in Riverside County.
    — Joseph Serna, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of blackening
Verb
  • In the past farmers have been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to prevent them from eating crops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • Historically used in dry cleaning or to degrease metal parts, the chemicals leaked into the base’s wells, poisoning the drinking water.
    — WUFT News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of poisoning
Verb
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.
    — Adam Roy, Outside, 28 Dec. 2025
Definition of dirtying
Verb
  • The Spurs were a ghastly 11 of 46 from the perimeter, sullying an otherwise analytically pristine shot chart that included only four non-paint 2s.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of sullying
Verb
  • Brazzale says patients who are declining may worry about soiling themselves, losing their dignity, or being moved out of their home at the end.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 5 Aug. 2026
  • People are reportedly soiling themselves at Noah Kahan‘s concerts.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
Definition of soiling
Verb
  • In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
  • Kelly believes a book like this hasn’t been written before because people weren’t ready to hear the truth – as though acknowledging these famous people’s complete life experiences would be besmirching their legacies.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of besmirching
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.

Browse Nearby Words

befouled
befouling
befouls
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Cite this Entry

“Befouling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouling. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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