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profaning

verb

present participle of profane
1
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality the once-lovely landscape had been profaned by ugly factories

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abusing
to put to a bad or improper use profaned his considerable acting talents by appearing in some wretched movies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in violating
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect invading troops profaned the altar by playing poker on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for profaning
  1. degrading
  2. abusing
  3. violating
  4. corrupting
  5. misusing
  6. subverting
  7. perverting
  8. debauching
Verb
  • In 1963, Gloria Steinem went undercover for a journalism assignment as a Playboy bunny, exposing degrading working conditions that forced policy changes.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • While some look at this aesthetic as idealizing a time where women had fewer rights and independence, many trad wives do not think their roles are degrading.
    — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • A day after the website went live on July 22, Gupta says people called him from unknown numbers, verbally abusing him and threatening him with violence.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The backlash intensified after reports of immigration authorities accessing Flock data, officers abusing the network to stalk women, and misreads that led to innocent people held at gunpoint.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • George, despite missing significant time because of a 25-game suspension for violating NBA drug policy, had a good season on both ends.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In May, two children were taken by their mother, violating a court order, and were reported missing in Hillsborough County.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of violating
Verb
  • Instead, in trying to explain what made both Murdoch and Lamb tick in those early days, Boyle and Graham show us just how intoxicating and corrupting this kind of success can be.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The Apology is Plato’s version of the speech of self-defense Socrates gives when he is tried by the city of Athens for corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods.
    — Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupting
Verb
  • Ditto Itasca, where an officer accused of misusing Flock is now out of a job.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, local communities have learned how the law enforcement agencies themselves have been misusing the technology to, in some cases, stalk and harass their citizens.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of misusing
Verb
  • Ouweleen, who took over the top job following the retirement of longtime leader Mike Lazzo in 2022, stressed that the network retains its commitment to subverting expectations even as formats change.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • By subverting Musk’s favorite tropes of video gaming and simulations, the film conveys the dangers of becoming like the Game Master in Ready Player One.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of subverting
Verb
  • The trial collapsed after the journalist was found to have tampered with evidence (he was later convicted of perverting the course of justice).
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 23 June 2026
  • He was also found guilty of perverting the court of justice.
    — StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of perverting
Verb
  • The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
    — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Definition of debauching
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.

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profanes
profaning
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Cite this Entry

“Profaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profaning. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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