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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OpenAI, which has come under scrutiny for copyright violations – and also for striking massive ‘circular’ deals leading to fears of an AI bubble – said the deal shows how the creative community and AI can get along.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025 -
In late 2024, a city inspector issued two city code violations that threatened to displace the Longfellow operation.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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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
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There are biological contaminants, and that’s anything that’s a living organism.—
Kat Tretina,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Her award-winning project, an artificial flower system, aims to guide pollinating insects toward nearby flower-rich areas amid urban air pollutants disrupting floral odors.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
15 June 2026
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Pollutants The southern region is known for its heavy pollen season and other pollutants.—
Kat Tretina,
Charlotte Observer,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Recalls can be initiated for a number of reasons, including undeclared allergens or potential contaminations.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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 18 Jun. 2026.
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