as in violating
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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as in blasphemous
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as in desecration
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Recent Examples of desecrating
Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
Gonzalez-Rasalas was charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft in a gruesome 2023 Easter Sunday homicide.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrating
Verb
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But the remarks follow Russian drone incursions into Poland as well as Russian fighter jets violating Estonian airspace, forcing NATO to intercept them.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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Board meetings were also being held in secret, violating state law.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Sharing song lyrics over WhatsApp that others deemed blasphemous against the Prophet Muhammad.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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When a blasphemous pop star threatens to upend their happy life and displace the sisters, Mother Constance sets out to save the convent by any means necessary.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In October 2023 alone,1,330 instances of antisemitism were reported by the CST, which includes assault, damage or desecration, threats and abusive behavior against Jews.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Years before, many conservatives—including myself—spoke out against grievance studies, the 1619 Project, the desecration of the curriculum.—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Think that's wild and somehow sacrilegious?—
Marcus K. Dowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Sep. 2025
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Any extra trimmings would land somewhere between glib and sacrilegious.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The addresses listed in the wrecking permits border the east of the truck plant where Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks, Expedition SUVs and luxury Lincoln Navigators.—
Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
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After Fred VanVleet tore his ACL less than two weeks before the start of training camp, Houston started preparing for the possibility that Amen Thompson — a 6-foot-7 defensive wrecking ball — could slide into the starting point guard role.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Weary head coach Jake Hudson (Steve Zahn) is facing pressure from Tricia (Wynn Everett), the very profane chair of the program (presumably the show’s red-state spin on Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham character) and will do anything to turn the program around.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
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Unfiltered streams tailored to older audiences can include sudden shifts in tone, profane language, or emotionally volatile behavior, and live chat features may expose children to unsafe interactions.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Shackleton blamed the sinking of the Endurance on the destruction of its rudder; for more than a century, historians accepted this explanation.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
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They’re often greeted with the sight of their mischievous pup climbing onto furniture or causing destruction while unattended.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But as in most of his roles since The Departed and The Fighter, Wahlberg shows little charisma, particularly when he’s flanked by an actor with the irreverent verve of LaKeith Stanfield, who steals every scene without even breaking a sweat.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Sep. 2025
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Italian denim brand Diesel has been a fixture on the scene since the 1970s, celebrated for its edgy and irreverent styles that defined Italian streetwear.—
Abbey Hudetz,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desecrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrating. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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