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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Electronic waste may expose humans and the environment to lead, mercury, arsenic, flame-retardant chemicals and other contaminants, according to the Geneva Environment Network.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
2 June 2026 -
Research has found that when people remove their exposures, the levels of these contaminants in their bodies decrease over the course of several years.—
Mara Hoplamazian,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Noun
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In fact, the research team found that bacteria floating in tiny fog droplets are alive, growing and breaking down pollutants in the air.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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Because of how they’re made, trying to clean them could release the pollutants back into the air.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Other violations throughout the years included creating another public nuisance in 2006 that generated more than 10 complaints and operating equipment contrary to its permit.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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The facility was inspected by the department three other times in the last five years and was cited for violations unrelated to chemicals and storage.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Stir your fruit and/or veggies around in the mixture to loosen up leftover dirt and impurities.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
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Keeping them stable under those conditions requires precise control over a nickel base alloyed with multiple elements, each with different physical and chemical properties, that must be uniformly melted, fused, and kept free of impurities.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
27 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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