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
One of Indonesia’s most high-profile blasphemy cases was that of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Indonesian politician widely known as Ahok who served as Jakarta’s first non-Muslim governor in 50 years.
—
Jack Guy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
That’s probably blasphemy for them.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Arguments and accusations of blasphemy regarding teaching yoga sutras rather than Bible scripture are rife within the Black yoga community.
—Tamika Caston-Miller, Outside Online, 26 Feb. 2025
While Christians born into the faith are free to practice, Iran’s Shariah laws state that abandoning Islam for another religion is considered blasphemy, punishable by death.
—Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Jack Guy, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
That’s probably blasphemy for them.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
Arguments and accusations of blasphemy regarding teaching yoga sutras rather than Bible scripture are rife within the Black yoga community.
—Tamika Caston-Miller, Outside Online, 26 Feb. 2025
While Christians born into the faith are free to practice, Iran’s Shariah laws state that abandoning Islam for another religion is considered blasphemy, punishable by death.
—Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blasphemy
Noun
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Such a transformation would represent an irrevocable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city’s rich history but also to the cultural legacy for the future generations.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2025
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For many liberals and radicals, beginning with Lord Byron, Elgin was a vandal who had committed sacrilege.—
Ralph Leonard,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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In the 1989 case Texas v. Johnson, the Court ruled that flag desecration is protected under the First Amendment.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
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For some fans, the changes may feel like a desecration.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The post was an apparent violation of Major League Baseball’s social media policy, which prohibits the use of electronic devices during games.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence.—
Hannah Wiseman,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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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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The Trump administration is substantially scaling back the State Department's annual reports on international human rights to remove longstanding critiques of abuses such as harsh prison conditions, government corruption and restrictions on participation in the political process, NPR has learned.—
Graham Smith,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
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Thao has since been indicted for bribery and corruption.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 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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With a premiere date set for July 9, the long-running Comedy Central series, masterminded by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, is coming back with all the irreverence fans have come to expect.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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Very carefully, unless your boss is Graydon Carter, whose gift for irreverence and self-deprecation is almost as legendary as his hair.—
Jim Kelly,
Air Mail,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blasphemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blasphemy. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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