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
Relevance
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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In October 2023 alone,1,330 instances of antisemitism were reported by the CST, which includes assault, damage or desecration, threats and abusive behavior against Jews.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025 -
Years before, many conservatives—including myself—spoke out against grievance studies, the 1619 Project, the desecration of the curriculum.—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Use separate cutting boards and containers to avoid cross-contamination between raw meats and fruits and vegetables.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Ready-to-eat food subject to contamination by raw animal product.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Another major violation would be improper cooling.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
5 Oct. 2025
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Adav Noti, a former FEC general counsel and now executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, says even with a quorum, the commission has historically done very little to regulate campaign finance violations.—
Ashley Lopez,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Crews worked continuously to prevent contaminants from entering rivers and local water supplies.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
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But since onions grow underground, concerns about bacteria, dirt, or pesticide residue are valid, especially if those contaminants could transfer to your cutting board, knife, or directly onto your food while working with them.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The European Parliament has twice called for Yahaya’s release, asking Nigeria to set an example by abolishing the blasphemy laws under which he has been detained for over five years.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Yes, all this is whimsical blasphemy.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Night after night in the dry air of Chile's Atacama Desert, fine dust and pollutants settle on the aluminum coating of the mirrors belonging to the Very Large Telescope, part of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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This change limited the state's ability to secure federal funds for energy efficiency projects, address emissions of climate-warming air pollutants at a statewide level, or promote cleaner technologies that don't rely on fossil fuels.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Miami’s corruption keeps us from solving our issues.—
Miami Herald Staff,
Miami Herald,
8 Oct. 2025
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The section that investigates public corruption has been gutted, while the bureau's premier public corruption unit has been disbanded.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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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And still, Wankdorf Stadium heaved with Portuguese song, as if any other noise outside of a goal celebration might border on sacrilege.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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