befouls

verb

present tense third-person singular of befoul
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

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.
Recent Examples of befouls That’s a fate that befouls most of the heroic cast, who are underserved by a tepid script that can’t bother to locate and carry through coherent character arcs that would give this adventure real emotional weight. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befouls
  1. blackens
  2. pollutes
  3. stains
  4. poisons
  5. dirties
  6. sullies
  7. besmirches
  8. soils
Verb
  • As the salmon blackens in a skillet, the spices awaken, encrusting the fish in peppery piquant.
    — The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of blackens
Verb
  • The Chenab River runs red with blood while poison pollutes the five rivers of Punjab and spreads through the fertile soil.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • New rules require hundreds of businesses to clean up runoff from large parking lots that pollutes creeks and beaches.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of pollutes
Verb
  • Homemade plum compote stains the filling with a vibrant red ribbon.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026
  • When that protective finish gets damaged, the toilet actually stains easier and is harder to keep clean over time.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 24 May 2026
Definition of stains
Verb
  • Any infection can progress to a systemic disease that poisons the blood and body.
    — RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Despite her initial disinterest, Kara develops a personal stake when Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), the one who killed Ruthye's parents and brother, poisons her dog Krypto.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Definition of poisons
Verb
  • The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Definition of dirties
Verb
  • The film hinges on a small moment that not only sullies the trip but leads her character to reconsider her understanding of her father.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • For all the ways Disney’s move sullies it with creatives in Hollywood, OpenAI’s new partner does the opposite — gives it massive cred in Silicon Valley.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
Definition of sullies
Verb
  • The eggs were fluffy, lacking any of the rubbery slop that besmirches lesser breakfast burritos.
    — Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
  • This cynicism inevitably besmirches players, coaches, and referees who have no ties to gambling.
    — Danny Funt, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
Definition of besmirches
Verb
  • Volcanic vineyard soils on display at Omina Romana.
    — Layne Randolph, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • At one point, the prisoner soils himself, prompting a vomitous reaction.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of soils

Browse Nearby Words

befouling
befouls
befriend
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Cite this Entry

“Befouls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouls. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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