as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
the cattle, once they were cornered in the defile, were quickly rounded up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
art conservators were careful not to do anything that might defile the holy relic
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 defile
Danika Worthington, The Know, 19 June 2020
The 27-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile and burglary.
—Ria Manglapus and Lisa M. Bolton, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2019
Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
The 37-year-old former Fairfax County police recruit has since been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and physically defiling a dead body.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defile
Noun
Between Evergreen and Conifer Maxwell Creek slides north through a trailside defile, trembles through boulders in watery segments, and slips over black granite blocks in shimmery sheets at Maxwell Falls.
—Danika Worthington, The Know, 19 June 2020
The 27-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile and burglary.
—Ria Manglapus and Lisa M. Bolton, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2019
Verb
Naresh Bhatt was arrested in August on a charge of concealing a dead body and now faces charges of murder and physically defiling a dead body after police found evidence in their Manassas Park home that her body was dismembered.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
The 37-year-old former Fairfax County police recruit has since been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and physically defiling a dead body.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defile
Noun
-
The indoor-outdoor flow and natural materials will nod to the surroundings, while a central lodge with 360 canyon views will act as a communal gathering space.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The Gulf would become a shipping channel, with 900-foot tankers traversing its narrow deep-water canyons that great whales and other marine species have evolved over millions of years to depend on for food, communication, mating, shelter and safe passage.—
Joel Reynolds,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Well, the nation’s most polluting coal plant, Montana’s Colstrip plant, has asked the EPA for an exemption, as the New York Times’ Hiroko Tabuchi reports.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Vyse's version is simpler and cheaper—estimated to add only a few cents more to the price of a drink—and avoids polluting gases.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The sheriff’s office said it’s launched an internal investigation, but so far has not found any signs that the veteran deputy violated any policies.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
-
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
-
This scenic gorge captivates in winter, when water rushing over the vertical cliff walls freezes into a silent, crystal cathedral of blue-and-white icicles.—
Lisa Kadane,
AFAR Media,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Visitors can get a great tour of the park via the 83-mile scenic drive that offers stunning views of the river and its gorge around every twist and turn of the three-hour journey.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Morgan was previously married to Keith Whitley from 1986 to his alcohol poisoning death in 1989 at age 34.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Scores of sea lions and dolphins have been fatally poisoned in recent months by domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The audit also noted a Jewish cemetery in Waterbury that was vandalized with more than 12 gravestones desecrated.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Fernandez was charged with first-degree murder, desecrating human remains and multiple weapons crimes.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Four people were killed and another was severely injured on Thursday when their cable car crashed into a ravine in Italy.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Multiple rooms in the house also feature floor-to-ceiling windows, giving sweeping views of the rolling mountains and valleys.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Witnesses on the ground said the cable car plummeted into the valley below, hitting a pylon on the way down.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share