as in pernicious
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Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiling
Adjective
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So when and why did humans fall prey to such a pernicious threat?—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Feb. 2026 -
While critiques of America’s pernicious gambling culture and hypocritical application to athletes never overwhelm the story (or even develop beyond a few jabs per episode), Season 1 lays the groundwork to delve deeper later on while hitting plenty of targets here and now.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cows are responsible for many millions of pounds of nitrogen every year, polluting Florida’s springs, rivers and estuaries.—
Harper West,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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The settlement continues Oklahoma’s progress in holding poultry companies accountable for polluting the Illinois River Watershed, Drummond said.—
Barbara Hoberock,
Oklahoman,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The judge had called attorneys representing the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and ICE back into his courtroom for a hearing this week after the ACLU and other attorneys alleged that ICE was repeatedly violating his order.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
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In February, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Pacers $100,000 for violating the league’s player participation policy as part of a league-wide crackdown on tanking.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Alex Jacobs, United States, 2026 A cursed artifact wrapped in static.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
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Mackenyu takes us to Loguetown and Ipponmatsu's Arms Shop, where his character recreates a scene from the anime involving a cursed sword.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chronic mold poisoning our children.—
Sumathy Kumar,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Through the years, there have been more oil spills, but also toxic algae blooms poisoning sea creatures with domoic acid and disease outbreaks, unusual stranding events that would fill the center to maximum capacity.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The public, however, knew what to expect from this unwholesome mixture of politics and celebrity and didn’t tune in.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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But unlike Materialists, those movies—pictures like Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth or Preston Sturges’ The Palm Beach Story—emerged in a time when Hollywood censors were keeping a close eye on movies’ ideology, determined to protect audiences from unwholesome influences.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The Shah's regime was corrupt and dysfunctional.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Mar. 2026
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Trump has granted clemency to all manner of criminals from violent January 6 rioters to corrupt politicians and fraudulent businessmen.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Now, several polls show that Wyomingites oppose killing wildlife with vehicles, which gives public officials in the next Legislative session an opening to prohibit this debased practice.—
Wendy Keefover,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
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The script, penned by Bartek Bartosik and Naqqash Khalid, becomes bizarrely moralistic by the end, insinuating that the debased and debauched might perhaps see their problems solved by becoming domesticated.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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