as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti
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Recent Examples of desecrate
Read More: The Battle for Our Memory Is the Battle for Our Country
But debasing our history through censorship and ideological cherry-picking insults the memory of the nine saints who were murdered at Mother Emanuel, desecrating its sacred space all over again.
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Kevin Sack, Time, 3 June 2025
But the real violence — and the reason audiences presumably pay to see these IP parasites — is what’s done to the characters themselves, as there’s an illicit thrill in desecrating powerful brands, like Disney.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
And the Germans entered forcibly, violating all that, desecrating it with their presence.
—Ann Goldstein, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Crumb desecrated sleek American surfaces in a way that felt disturbing and profound, especially to the many young people also dropping acid.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Kevin Sack, Time, 3 June 2025
But the real violence — and the reason audiences presumably pay to see these IP parasites — is what’s done to the characters themselves, as there’s an illicit thrill in desecrating powerful brands, like Disney.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
And the Germans entered forcibly, violating all that, desecrating it with their presence.
—Ann Goldstein, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Crumb desecrated sleek American surfaces in a way that felt disturbing and profound, especially to the many young people also dropping acid.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrate
violate
Verb
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Under the proposal, violating the permit restrictions would carry a $150 fine.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
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Then, in November 2023, a mistrial was declared in a federal trial over whether Hankison violated the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and neighbors after the jury could not come to a decision.—
Josh Wood,
The Courier-Journal,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrate. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
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