as in violated
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 desecrated
Javien Wright, the man whose grave was desecrated, was, with a gun by his side, shot to death outside a house in the 1500 block of East Mulkey Street in February 2020.
—
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
More synagogues in Canada in the past 28 months have been desecrated, burned, shot at, or threatened with bombings than in any other country.
—Jesse Brown, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Officials determined that a total of 26 underground vaults and mausoleums were broken into or desecrated from November 2025 until the day Gerlach was caught.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
In 1993, White Supremacists in Billings desecrated a Jewish cemetery, sent bomb threats to a synagogue and threw a brick at a menorah in the window of a five-year-old Jewish boy.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Public monuments and art were desecrated all over the country.
—Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025
Never in the storied history of MomTok have the core brand values been this desecrated.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Trump’s order also directs administration officials to terminate or revoke visas if foreign nationals are found to have desecrated the flag.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
When Melanson failed to comply with Lino’s instructions, Lino allegedly beat the older man with a baseball bat and then desecrated his corpse.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
More synagogues in Canada in the past 28 months have been desecrated, burned, shot at, or threatened with bombings than in any other country.
—Jesse Brown, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Officials determined that a total of 26 underground vaults and mausoleums were broken into or desecrated from November 2025 until the day Gerlach was caught.
—Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026
In 1993, White Supremacists in Billings desecrated a Jewish cemetery, sent bomb threats to a synagogue and threw a brick at a menorah in the window of a five-year-old Jewish boy.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Public monuments and art were desecrated all over the country.
—Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025
Never in the storied history of MomTok have the core brand values been this desecrated.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Trump’s order also directs administration officials to terminate or revoke visas if foreign nationals are found to have desecrated the flag.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
When Melanson failed to comply with Lino’s instructions, Lino allegedly beat the older man with a baseball bat and then desecrated his corpse.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrated
violated
Verb
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Apkarian found that the ads, which have been on the airwaves for more than 20 years, violated California’s false advertising law by disseminating public statements about the disposal of property — specifically vehicle donations — that were misleading by omission.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
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The flotilla, involving nearly 500 activists from 45 countries, revives questions over enforcing blockades in international waters amid Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis and a fragile, frequently violated ceasefire.—
Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desecrated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrated. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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