as in violates
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 desecrates
Nothing beats cuteness except watching violence be enacted upon the cuteness; like an aural Happy Tree Friends, Skulls tosses pom-poms of fuzz into the sky then desecrates them.
—
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
In the world of Monster, a person who takes lives and desecrates corpses might someday be capable of redemption.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
In the world of Monster, a person who takes lives and desecrates corpses might someday be capable of redemption.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrates
violates
Verb
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Announcing a voter’s party preference out loud violates that rule.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Feb. 2026
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But in January last year, the South African parliament approved a land Expropriation Act, which critics say violates that constitution.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desecrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrates. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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