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
-
At a civic association meeting Thursday, city code enforcement officers reminded residents that Fort Lauderdale has a complaint system that can suspend a short-term rental after three violations.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
19 June 2026 -
But the lenient touch toward one of the game’s worst violations reflects a problem that’s only continuing to grow in the broader sports world.—
Jemele Hill,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Locals often build up some tolerance to these water contaminants, but visitors haven’t, so a glass a resident drinks safely can leave a traveler sick for days.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
There are biological contaminants, and that’s anything that’s a living organism.—
Kat Tretina,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
And although data surrounding the health effects directly connected to data centers haven’t been around for long, there are decades of data linking negative health outcomes to the pollutants that come from those turbines.—
Sofi Zeman
June 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
-
Following the recommendations from the NWS helps bolster your safety during air quality alerts, minimizing your exposure to potentially harmful pollutants.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Rinse the almonds in a colander, running them under cool water to remove dust or impurities.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
18 June 2026
-
Chemical recycling, for instance, demands immense amounts of energy and chemicals to strip out impurities, especially from post-industrial waste streams.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
