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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Filing a false immigration claim violates anti-fraud statues, according to DHS General Counsel James Percival, and those who file them should be held accountable, according to a memo from Percival and reviewed by ABC News.
-
In 2022, a federal judge ruled that the state law violates Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act.
Cite this Entry
“Desecrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrates. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
