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.
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Recent Examples of defile
Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
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
Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for defile
Noun
Almost 200 species of birds have been seen in high-walled Ramsey Canyon, a lush defile in the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista that's managed by the Nature Conservancy.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
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
Verb
William adamantly reminds his father that Jane was trying to save her sister from being defiled by a man who had paid to take her maidenhead.
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for defile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defile
Noun
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The route includes many iconic Romanesque churches and beautiful landscapes, including the Rio Dulce natural park, and the canyon of Caracena.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
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On the night of the shooting, officers arrived at the scene of the call and found Rasmussen shot in the torso and lying in a nearby canyon, Provence said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The group is also likely to vote in October on whether to impose financial penalties on some polluting vessels.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 June 2025
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The study found many of these areas remain disconnected from national grids and are highly dependent on costly and polluting diesel generators.—
Jamie Hailstone,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Earlier in the week, perhaps the most notable setback was a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian that a cap on health care provider taxes, which is projected to save billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending, violated the Senate’s Byrd Rule.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
29 June 2025
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The Senate parliamentarian had ruled that these provisions governing current student loan borrowers violated senate reconciliation rules.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
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The lovely gorge setting makes Screw Auger a popular place to visit in the summer.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
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There are also a number of other waterfalls—including Cane Creek Falls and Piney Falls—as well as streams, gorges, and dense forests.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Still, no amount of artistic success could heal the rift that had poisoned the group.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
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In some cities, stray dogs are poisoned with strychnine, a pesticide banned in many countries for causing inhumane suffering.—
Lisa Klaassen,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Verb
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After unknowingly desecrating a sacred burial ground, 17-year-old Dashon Wallace (McLaughlin) and his family become targets of the Mbirwi, an ancient spirit summoned to protect the local community from the invasion of foreigners.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
7 May 2025
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Read More: The Battle for Our Memory Is the Battle for Our Country But debasing our history through censorship and ideological cherry-picking insults the memory of the nine saints who were murdered at Mother Emanuel, desecrating its sacred space all over again.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
Noun
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When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
20 June 2025
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Intense rainfall, as common in tropical latitudes, and water vapor in the eruption column can mix with volcanic ash and debris, forming deadly mudflows called lahars by geologists after an Indonesian word for ravines on the slopes of a volcano.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The restaurant overlooks the Little Sugar Creek valley and offers a multicourse tasting menu by reservation only. Conifer, Cooper's first restaurant, is known for a completely gluten-free menu, which changes seasonally.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2025
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On Pressing Onward, Freedia is creating her own religious experience of sorts — one that marries the powerful peaks and sonorous valleys of gospel with the irrepressible, relentless energy of bounce.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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