1
as in desecration
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
for two centuries the Christian monasteries in England suffered defilements at the hands of Viking invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contamination
something that is or that makes impure
souvenir shops, observation towers, and other tacky defilements on Civil War battlefields that should be considered hallowed ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement
Noun
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Complete and utter desecration of a national monument.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025 -
In fact, the party came within a single vote of getting a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag through Congress two decades ago.—
Frederic J. Frommer,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, various sanitation deficiencies such as old food residue on equipment, lack of proper glove use during food preparation, and pest contamination, city officials said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Among those scheduled to testify at the hearing for the government were an Oklahoma couple who were storing some of Goudreau's belongings, including two assault rifles an associate recently tried to retrieve in possible violation of a court order against possessing firearms while on bond.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Nov. 2025
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The denial letter said Farzam was convicted of making a false statement to the DMV and a registration violation.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The bill aims to inform private well owners about contaminants like PFAS and nitrate found during routine testing.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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The federal agency has been working to reduce dietary exposure to contaminants for children to as close to zero as possible.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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More recently, Netflix’s film Mary, about the life of the mother of Jesus Christ, sparked debate among viewers when it was released in 2024, and the upcoming horror film The Carpenter’s Son about Jesus Christ was described as blasphemy online.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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Pakistan has seen a significant spike in blasphemy cases in recent years, in line with the TLP's rise.—
NPR,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Akaganeite gripped pollutants most strongly, but lepidocrocite had more chemically active sites that triggered faster bond breaking.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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And in Tennessee’s South Memphis, the methane gas turbines that power an xAI data center give off air pollutants contributing to smog and formaldehyde.—
Natalie Kainz,
NBC news,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Steeped in a culture of corruption, those who would take over from Maduro would continue to prioritize enriching themselves.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Though Cheney was not personally named in litigation, Halliburton settled a Nigerian corruption complaint for $250 million.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In 1998, the Lucky Chances casino opened, surrounded by graveyards on three side, which critics saw as a sacrilege.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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For years, Apple treated the idea of windows on the iPad as sacrilege.—
Craig Grannell,
Wired News,
16 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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