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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilements
Noun
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The lawsuit cites studies that toxic contaminants in the herbicide have led to higher rates of birth defects in children of these veterans compared to the general population.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026 -
The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would, for the first time, formally flag microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water as threats that deserve federal attention — putting them on its list of contaminants that merit study, tracking, and possible future regulation.—
Justin Zorn,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the Cuyahoga River combusting due to pollutants from corporate dumping was one of the keystone events in the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
These hazardous pollutants can cause cancer and damage the nervous system and liver.—
The Sacramento Bee staff,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Garcia Martinez was processed for federal immigration law violations and transported to a detention facility with detainers to ensure extradition to New York after final adjudication of the immigration violations, CBP said.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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Allegations of sovereignty violations, civilian casualties, and lack of due process have prompted debates about the legality and morality of drone warfare under international humanitarian law.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Those impurities may have masked the true adsorption capabilities of the materials.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
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This assortment includes the Detox Pads, which gently remove all traces of makeup and impurities from the day and deep clean skin without stripping.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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