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
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Recent Examples of defile
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
Amy Baker Harrison was indicted by a Stafford County grand jury on Monday for the first-degree murder of Jacqueline Lard, as well as abduction with the intent to defile, aggravated malicious wounding and breaking and entering with the intent to commit murder, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Amanda Jackson, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
Jessica Sager, People.com, 25 May 2025
The sacred plant, long defiled, heralded, as in the time of the Inca and all the ancient civilizations of the Andes, as a gift of the gods.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defile
Noun
One defiles realism, and the other refuses to let it out of its grip.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024
Amy Baker Harrison was indicted by a Stafford County grand jury on Monday for the first-degree murder of Jacqueline Lard, as well as abduction with the intent to defile, aggravated malicious wounding and breaking and entering with the intent to commit murder, according to the sheriff’s office.
—Amanda Jackson, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
An international manhunt ensued for Magnotta, who was also accused of defiling Lin's corpse.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 25 May 2025
The sacred plant, long defiled, heralded, as in the time of the Inca and all the ancient civilizations of the Andes, as a gift of the gods.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defile
Noun
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Captured in the canyons of Arizona, the image reveals how flickering light dances across textured stone, creating fleeting moments of beauty only found in the shadows.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Evacuation warnings have been lifted in two zones west of Pope Valley Road and Aetna Mine Road, but orders remain in effect across seven others, including areas northeast of Silverado Trail and into Swartz and Palisades canyons.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Other public speakers, like Tabitha Fader, said the reroute would cause irreparable harm if wetlands and rivers were polluted during pipeline construction or in the event of a spill.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Industry, transportation, and creating electricity are polluting.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, a Minnesota court struck down the binary trigger ban, arguing that the legislature violated the state constitution’s single-subject clause by burying the ban inside a sprawling spending bill.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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And Congress is unlikely to grant him new tariff powers after the courts just ruled that doing so unilaterally violated the separation of powers.—
Brett Erickson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Over time, the powerful current carved out massive gorges and canyons, including the Grand Canyon of the Nujiang.—
Lauren Liebhaber
September 2,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
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The 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge, which crosses the eponymous gorge, is also billed as one of the longest single-span steel arch bridges in the Western Hemisphere.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Abusers and traffickers are exploiting this lack of oversight—leaving women coerced, deceived, and sometimes poisoned.—
Christa Brown,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
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Beyond the broader ecological catastrophes that await us, wildfires harm people with smoke that can travel hundreds of kilometers from the source fire, poisoning people with small particles and a portfolio of toxins.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Punishment for burning the national flag varies, with some requiring those who desecrate a flag to pay a fine, such as Italy, while others, like South Korea, enforce multiple years of jail-time.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
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When Melanson failed to comply with Lino’s instructions, Lino allegedly beat the older man with a baseball bat and then desecrated his corpse.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
27 Aug. 2025
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Here, visitors will find dramatic cliff views, wooded ravines, and miles of hiking trails that wind through oak and hickory forests.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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So far, Dadu mountain lizards have been found in the Dadu River valley in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, a region of central China, the study said.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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The early-morning thunderstorms that rumbled across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys Tuesday also produced nearly 10,000 dry lightning strikes, sparking wildfires from the Mother Lode to the grasslands of eastern Sacramento County.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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