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
Another young man, Mashal Khan, a university student and poet, was lynched by a mob of fellow students who accused him of blasphemy.
—
Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
As depicted in the movie, Lee was arrested multiple times for blasphemy and disturbing the peace.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Because of these and other views, she was persecuted and imprisoned several times for blasphemy in England.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Some of the Friend’s followers—men, it must be said—turned on the group, stirring up land disputes and forcibly delivering the Friend a warrant for blasphemy.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
As depicted in the movie, Lee was arrested multiple times for blasphemy and disturbing the peace.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
Because of these and other views, she was persecuted and imprisoned several times for blasphemy in England.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Some of the Friend’s followers—men, it must be said—turned on the group, stirring up land disputes and forcibly delivering the Friend a warrant for blasphemy.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blasphemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blasphemy
Noun
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But by then, religious and political leaders from around the world condemned the image, some calling it a sacrilege.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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That might sound like sacrilege, because the NFL is beyond criticism for many sports fans, but the draft is the ideal example of what the league has become and the importance of gambling to modern audiences.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gerlach is facing nearly 500 charges — including burglary, abuse of a corpse and desecration of monuments — tied to a disturbing investigation at Mount Moriah Cemetery near Philadelphia, the outlet reported.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
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Against desecration of our flag bill 4.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Barbara Goodman, the assistant administrator, stated that Awana—the behavioral health company run through Glory to God (GTG)—received a 30-day Medicaid termination notice in May without explanation, despite never being audited or receiving a violation.—
Morgan Rynor,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Citing violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, Williams issued a preliminary injunction ordering the closure of Alligator Alcatraz within 60 days.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
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People would literally be in the drive-thru cursing at me.—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
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According to Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles, his mother had to cut back on a certain bad habit after marrying King Charles—cursing.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
4 June 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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Rubio acknowledged that the current arrangement may not be permanent, but described it as a significant departure from the corruption and patronage structures that dominated Venezuela during the Chávez and Maduro years.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
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Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing in the corruption case, though that did not stop Steyer’s campaign from suggesting he might be indicted in eleventh-hour TV ads that drew a cease-and-desist warning from Becerra’s attorney.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 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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How to analyze a poetics of irreverence and improvisation—of life experienced in a perpetual present—without stifling precisely these qualities?—
Joe Dunthorne,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
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Its gonzo spirit, racial irreverence, and formal invention reminded me of Riley.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blasphemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blasphemy. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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