1
as in blackens
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 pollutes
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 befouls
Verb
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But to isolate gold, galamsey workers typically use poisonous mercury, which pollutes drinking water and farmland and has been linked to serious illness and birth defects.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025 -
Debris pollutes waterways, cooking fires may spread, and the District Attorney’s Office has repeatedly documented how homeless residents are more likely to be victims of crime.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Blood still regularly stains the floors of the Coliseum’s rings.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This cynicism inevitably besmirches players, coaches, and referees who have no ties to gambling.—
Danny Funt,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At one point, the prisoner soils himself, prompting a vomitous reaction.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Somebody does something terrible and messes it up.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Befouls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouls. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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