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
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Recent Examples of defilement
In this way, Lapid keeps the emotional aspect of Y’s self-defilement at the forefront of the drama.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement
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
-
Against desecration of our flag bill 4.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some team members visited pig slaughterhouses, where the GI tract is typically removed from the meat to prevent contamination.—
Sara Talpos — Undark,
STAT,
1 June 2026
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The environmental activist who won $333 million for hundreds of people affected by utility company PG&E’s groundwater contamination is now turning her focus to data centers.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
1 June 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
-
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
-
Each batch undergoes multiple tests for active ingredient consistency and contaminant safety.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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Over two collection cycles, harvesters refined their process to ensure the material was free of contaminants such as dirt and stones.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
1 June 2026
Noun
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This was a weak case for blasphemy.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
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The president later removed the post in the face of outrage and accusations of blasphemy.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Pollution concerns are top of mind across much of Asia but less so in many advanced economies where the most dangerous pollutants tend to be less visible.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
3 June 2026
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In the near future, environmental teams could use pocket-sized sensors to detect microscopic pollutants in real time.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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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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
Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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