defiling 1 of 2

adjective

as in pernicious

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defiling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of defile
1
as in polluting
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violating
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect art conservators were careful not to do anything that might defile the holy relic

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiling
  1. pernicious
  2. polluting
  3. violating
  4. cursed
  5. poisoning
  6. unwholesome
  7. corrupt
  8. debased
Adjective
  • But even with federal legislation prohibiting discrimination, the pernicious virus of bias infects too many institutions.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
  • This safety feature is indispensable, which makes this new wave of thefts particularly pernicious.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Definition of pernicious
Verb
  • The solution is to support federal and state legislation that encourages lower-cost, less-polluting renewable energy to speed up the transition away from environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • Plastics degrade into microplastics, which in humans have been linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and other health issues, and which are polluting ecosystems from coral reefs to Antarctica.
    — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 26 June 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • Earlier this year, the European Commission found that the social media giant was violating EU law by failing to prevent children below 13 from accessing its platforms.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • The complaint also accuses G-MAC of violating Title IX, a federal law that commands gender equity in college sports.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of violating
Adjective
  • The two answer a royal summons to investigate a cursed palace whose secrets even the King cannot speak of openly.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • For years, a static skeletal figure sat atop a cursed pile of gold, but now, his story is coming to life thanks to the latest in Audio-Animatronic technology.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of cursed
Verb
  • One of Robinson's attorneys, Kathryn Nester, also represented Kouri Richins, who was convicted of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Lewis was accused of poisoning two white female housemates, assaulted by a white mob in response to the charge, and acquitted in court, only to then be accused of stealing art supplies and prohibited from reënrolling.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Definition of poisoning
Adjective
  • Their jail is strange and unwholesome.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Grievous bodily harm, nonconsensual drugging, murder, yes…still, thank god there’s nothing unwholesome here, like say a man in a dress.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of unwholesome
Adjective
  • Harry and the six other high-profile claimants failed to prove their allegations that the publisher unlawfully obtained private information through methods including private investigators, deception, phone hacking and corrupt payments.
    — Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • After all, this was FIFA, the infamously corrupt governing body of international soccer that seems to function not based on its rulebook but on the whims of a few guys in a room.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • That wasn’t its only subject; comedy and power and misogyny and creativity and intergenerational conflict and work ethic and, especially in its last few seasons, the debased state of the entertainment industry were all richly explored through lines.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
  • And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of debased
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Defiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiling. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defiling

Nglish: Translation of defiling for Spanish Speakers

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