violate

verb

ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce violate (audio)
Definition of violatenext
1
as in to break
to fail to keep you've violated the company's rule against smoking within 30 feet of the building

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to desecrate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect the invaders violated the temple by using it to stable their horses

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to rape
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent criminal statutes delineating acts that constitute violating another person

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 violate In a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Stanley Reed, the Supreme Court concluded Francis' constitutional rights would not be violated by electrocuting him a second time (which Louisiana ultimately did). — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 The judge ruled that the union was likely to succeed on the merits of its argument that the BOP had violated the Administrative Procedure Act by terminating the collective bargaining agreement and ordered the bureau to reinstate it immediately. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 Kalshi faces lawsuits from tribes including Blue Lake Rancheria in California, the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe in New Mexico, which allege its sports contracts violate tribal gaming rights. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 Hinojosa has campaigned on her tenure as a civil rights lawyer and criticized Abbott’s crime policies as violating civil liberties. — Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for violate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violate
  1. break
  2. desecrate
  3. rape
  4. breach
  5. destroy
  6. assault
  7. contravene
  8. defile
Verb
  • Smaller pieces of the roof broke apart as sections detached from the main frame of the building.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The civil war in Yemen erupted once again this summer and significantly intensified last month, breaking years of relative calm.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of break
Verb
  • Then in January 2026, according to police, a potential family member reached out to police and said the mausoleum and grave of a relative at Riverview Cemetery were unlawfully desecrated in 2002.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Without criminal consequences, operators who profit from desecrating the dead have nothing to fear.
    — Susana Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of desecrate
Verb
  • Keep it brief, clear and consistent There’s no room for ambiguity when teaching boys not to rape or assault girls.
    — Katie Hurley, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Jonathan Newell, 21, is accused in a lawsuit of raping a female student alongside other men after pressuring her to take ketamine and alcohol.
    — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of rape
Verb
  • The satirical remarks drew criticism after a man later breached security at the Washington Hilton event while armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After rising into the 90s last week, Sacramento topped out with a blazing high of 99 degrees on Saturday, while other parts of the Central Valley breached 100 degrees (looking at you Redding).
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of breach
Verb
  • Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Large private surveys of students at multiple colleges consistently estimate that 1 in 5 college women are assaulted while attending university.
    — Kaitlyn M. Sims, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault
Verb
  • Two years ago he was suspended for three months by the Cricket Regulator for betting on cricket between 2017 and 2019, contravening the game’s rules.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The ban contravenes advice from the World ​Health Organization, which advises against travel or trade restrictions with ​Congo, where officials are currently struggling to contain a large ⁠outbreak of Ebola.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Definition of contravene
Verb
  • Happy anniversary from a California native who fell in love with the coast at first sight, and shame on those who would defile it.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • To defile the legacy of his family and that family name is sickening, and turns my stomach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
Definition of defile

Browse Nearby Words

violable
violate
violated
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Cite this Entry

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

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