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

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

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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

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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
  • Local farms face ever degrading soil conditions, tougher markets and more extreme weather patterns.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Germany's Constitutional Court ruled last year that the extradition was unlawful because it could not be guaranteed that the defendant would not be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • As Rolling Stone and Sportico have reported, the Riverside plaintiffs all allege that the church should have known that Lorch was abusing children.
    — Luke Cyphers, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Damian Reynolds, 34, was sentenced to a 20-year prison sentence — the maximum allowed under the law —after he was convicted of abusing two women, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
    — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • Massie’s Hegseth resolution, among other allegations, lays out charges of violating Congress’ war powers and carrying out extrajudicial killings.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Two officers who conducted the internal investigation into Martin’s use of force sued the city for violating the Whistleblower Act, alleging they were retaliated against for recommending to Fitzgerald that Martin be fired.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of violating
Verb
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And by engaging with these powerful militaries, the group reinforced its self-image as a major regional player that was uniquely capable of liberating the Muslim world from corrupting American and Israeli influence.
    — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupting
Verb
  • An Athens-Clarke County police officer has been fired and is under investigation after officials say he was accused of misusing his department's Flock Safety system to search for his ex-girlfriend's vehicle.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency found that GEO Group had violated federal law by misusing HDQ Neutral.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of misusing
Verb
  • According to tax authorities, by inappropriately avoiding gains, investors are subverting the intention of the rules.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a guilty pleasure in subverting a cheesy tourist tee.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 2 Oct. 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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Cite this Entry

“Profaning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profaning. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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