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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Although lead is one of the most common and dangerous contaminants left behind after fires, federal and state disaster officials have traditionally tested soil for 17 toxic metals, including cancer-causing arsenic and toxic mercury.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026 -
Free Press reporting reveals arsenic and lead are among the contaminants that have been found across dozens of sites tested so far, and that questions remain as to whether Detroit officials have orderedadequate testing and sufficiently communicated the risk to residents.—
Violet Ikonomova,
Freep.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Semiconductor manufacturing requires huge amounts of ultra-clean water to rinse residue from silicon chips during the fabrication process, resulting in wastewater that contains pollutants, including heavy metals, which can be toxic to aquatic ecosystems and humans.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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Now, its ability to do that for many air pollutants is under threat.—
Lisa Song,
ProPublica,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Welfare advocates, long highly critical of the San Jose animal shelter, are warning of a potential legal fight if the agency fails to improve animal care — accusing the city of neglect, gross negligence and repeating violations of state law.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Some of those fees, like the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, have absolutely nothing to do with traffic violations.—
Julie Watts,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Micellar water Many makeup remover wipes feature micellar water, which helps draw out oil, dirt and impurities without overdrying your skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
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Skinfix’s coconut oil and colloidal oatmeal one removes impurities without stripping the skin on your face and body.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
30 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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