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
  • Four of seven members agreed with the District’s staff recommendation that the school had addressed the violations and should keep its charter.
    Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Major was charged with one count of conspiracy and six counts of Lacey Act violations, and Eborn was charged with one count of conspiracy and seven counts of Lacey Act violations.
    Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 19 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Water filters This pitcher uses Advanced Carbon Core Technology filters to remove up to three times as many contaminants as standard filters.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Temporary low water pressure was monitored during the repair, with samples collected from seven locations in the affected area showing no evidence of contaminants.
    Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • What is worse, pollutants in the upper atmosphere remain much longer than those emitted by cars and factory chimneys close to the ground.
    Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Ocean Friendly Gardens restores healthy watersheds by using native plants to filter pollutants and soak up extra water and by upgrading landscapes to maintain rainwater runoff and direct water back into the ground instead of storm drains.
    Alexiah Syrai Olsen, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In one of the heaviest contaminations of TCE and PCE documented, thousands of soldiers and their families were exposed to the solvents at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987.
    WUFT News, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
  • And the Food and Drug Administration is also investigating contaminations that may be tied to a different outbreak.
    Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • The pyrometallurgical process removes oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and metallic impurities in a single continuous step at a lower cost.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The retinol in the formula sloughs away all impurities that lead to the bumps in the first place, while vitamin E and green tea fend off any sensitivities by restoring the moisture barrier.
    Mary Honkus, Glamour, 18 Aug. 2026
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Cite this Entry

“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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