defilements

plural of defilement
1
as in corruptions
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

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2
as in contaminants
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilements
Noun
  • Independent testing confirms that the supplement contains the ingredients listed on the label and is free from harmful contaminants.
    Kirstyn Hill, Health, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Crews worked continuously to prevent contaminants from entering rivers and local water supplies.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Still, the amount of heavy metals and pollutants in fish really depends on its species and where it was caught or farmed.
    Simon Spichak, Health, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Amidst their divorce hearings, Guobadia was detained by ICE and deported back to Nigeria, a result of a history of immigration violations, including bank and credit card fraud.
    Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Immergut also cited violations of the 10th Amendment and other federal statutes as reasons for her ruling.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Skim off any foamy impurities with a tablespoon.
    Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Any impurities will be in the liquid, which is then run through a multistep distillation process that separates the pure trichlorosilane from anything unwanted.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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