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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At the compressor stations, the natural gas produced from wells is processed so that water and other contaminants are removed.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026 -
Studies have shown how lead particles that fell to the ground were kicked back up into the air again where people could inhale them, along with other contaminants.—
Armin Sorooshian,
The Conversation,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These long cylinders of glacial ice packed with layers of dust, pollutants, and smoke are frozen time capsules that scientists can use to recreate past environmental conditions.—
Nidhi Sharma,
Popular Science,
13 Mar. 2026
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This mass incineration of metal would result in a steep increase in concentrations of potentially dangerous pollutants such as aluminum oxide and lithium in the upper atmosphere, which could lead to ozone depletion and temperature changes.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Most restaurants correct violations at the time of the original inspection or shortly after.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
20 Mar. 2026
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Supply chain due diligence should also address wage violations, unsafe workplaces, restrictions on workers’ freedom of association and environmental harms.—
Anna Bryher,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This can introduce impurities or harmful microorganisms to the bathroom environment as a result.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
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Desalination converts seawater into drinkable water by removing salt, minerals and impurities either by heating it up or pushing it through membranes at high pressure.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defilements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilements. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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