as in sacrilege
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
in the 17th century the Quakers were persecuted for beliefs and practices that older churches regarded as blasphemies
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Recent Examples of blasphemy
While in prison for blasphemy, Lee had a risqué vision of Adam and Eve, and concluded that celibacy was the cure for worldly temptation.
—
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Thursday’s killing, over accusations of blasphemy, is the latest violent flare-up to roil Bangladesh following the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a student leader and critic of India who was central to last year’s uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
—semafor.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Pakistan weaponizes blasphemy laws and bombs Advent services.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Pakistan has seen a significant spike in blasphemy cases in recent years, in line with the TLP's rise.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Thursday’s killing, over accusations of blasphemy, is the latest violent flare-up to roil Bangladesh following the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a student leader and critic of India who was central to last year’s uprising that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
—semafor.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Pakistan weaponizes blasphemy laws and bombs Advent services.
—Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Pakistan has seen a significant spike in blasphemy cases in recent years, in line with the TLP's rise.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blasphemy
Noun
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Doing anything else would be sacrilege to the faithful, as well as false to the friendship that exists at the center of this Broadway behemoth.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
18 Nov. 2025
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In 1998, the Lucky Chances casino opened, surrounded by graveyards on three side, which critics saw as a sacrilege.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Later that day, her 25-year-old son, Khadir Jones, was arrested and charged with desecration of human remains, My Central Jersey reported.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Adams was also sentenced to two five-year sentences for unlawful removal of a dead body, and two seven-year sentences for unlawful desecration of a human corpse.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Kremlin said its aircraft reacted to a violation of a no-fly zone Russia has established in the area near Crimea.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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The issue, Council Member Jimmy Hallyburton said, is that the city doesn’t have any definitions of violations that the organizers may have committed.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There’s gore, demogorgons, demodogs, sexuality, cursing, weapons, drinking, and even death.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Jan. 2026
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Pete Golding went from a cursing curiosity in the coaching ranks to taking on legendary status in Ole Miss football history Thursday night.—
Mike Griffith,
AJC.com,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Even aside from Trump’s own enthusiastic personal immorality and impiety, his political style — the pugnacious smear artist and demagogic braggart — was the antithesis of what evangelicals had sought before.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 Sep. 2025
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By one hand, he is bound to himself, to his impiety, his recklessness, his envy and pride, his guilt and spite.—
Merve Emre,
The New Yorker,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But health policy experts have warned the new strategy carries risks for corruption and missing the most vulnerable people.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Under Erdoğan’s orders, prosecutors used charges of corruption, bribery, and support for terrorism to arrest Istanbul’s mayor and more than 100 other administrators of the Istanbul municipality.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.—
Victor J. Blue,
Harpers Magazine,
23 Nov. 2025
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No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move; ’Twere profanation of our joys To tell the laity our love.—
John Edgar Wideman,
The New Yorker,
8 July 2021
Noun
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That irreverence is something Lighton sensed from their first conversation.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Writer-directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer handle it all with irreverence and compassion.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blasphemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blasphemy. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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