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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And that’s not all — Yeon’s new film about the pernicious undead has set its North American theatrical release date.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026 -
That may sound like a smart countermeasure to a pernicious tech shortcut.—
Nathan Agranovsky,
Washington Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As of last April, the state environmental agency was also lagging behind on inspections of polluting facilities, according to the audit.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the industrial revolution, emissions from factories and eventually cars began polluting our air, trapping atmospheric gases and warming our planet, pushing temperatures to dangerous levels.—
Brandon Goldner,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Her suit accuses the company of violating the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, intentionally inflicting emotional distress, and wrongfully terminating her.—
Irin Carmon,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
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Cawthorn paid a $17,458 fine to the Federal Elections Commission in April 2025 after violating campaign finance law, The Charlotte Observer reported previously.—
Mary Ramsey
April 22,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the nearly 50 years since it was released, Faces of Death has become something of a cursed object, the kind of movie that gets traded around on old VHS tapes and spoken about in hushed tones on playgrounds and in video stores.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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Daniel Bernhardt is Deathstalker, a legendary swordsman stuck with a cursed amulet who befriends swamp monsters and teams with a mini wizard (voiced by Patton Oswalt) to stop a dark magic from ruling the land.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The young woman who sojourned to Oberlin College, where she was wrongfully accused of poisoning her classmates and beaten half to death, who raised her hands in defense of herself, then went on to grip clay and rock and chisel to re-create visions of justice.—
Tyehimba Jess,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Their jail is strange and unwholesome.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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As the operation grows across the city-wide black market, their ambitions clash with corrupt authorities, rival butchers and a shifting political landscape, pushing the family toward dangerous alliances and violent consequences.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2026
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Then Joe Biden and his corrupt administration comes along and makes matters worse, allowing thousands of criminals to enter our country illegally, pillaging Americans while being pampered in luxury hotels on our dime.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
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But the influencer landscape is getting debased and splintered and a bit draining, even for Kylie.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Defiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiling. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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