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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of violate
The council also exempted from SB 79 areas that are close to a transit stop but violate the spirit of SB 79 because residents can’t walk to it easily because of barriers like canyons, freeways or a lack of sidewalks.
—
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
The court said Democratic lawmakers had violated the state constitution when placing the proposal on the ballot.
—David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Earlier, Russia and Ukraine had accused each other of violating ceasefires that each had separately declared.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Democrats said that shows the maps violate the Fair Districts Amendments that voters added to the state Constitution.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for violate
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
The court said Democratic lawmakers had violated the state constitution when placing the proposal on the ballot.
—David A. Lieb, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
Earlier, Russia and Ukraine had accused each other of violating ceasefires that each had separately declared.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Democrats said that shows the maps violate the Fair Districts Amendments that voters added to the state Constitution.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for violate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violate
Verb
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The senior center fielder promptly broke his hamate bone against Lincoln-Way Central.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
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Mamdani had spent the preceding weeks observing Ramadan alongside members of the city’s Muslim communities, breaking fast in iftar gatherings with union members or content creators.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The case intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of religious minorities, following recent incidents of soldiers desecrating Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The three-part documentary series tells the story of three brothers who were recently convicted of preying on women for more than a decade, masquerading as party boys while drugging and raping them from the Hamptons to Aspen.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 May 2026
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Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer and defends a Black man who’s been falsely accused of raping a white woman.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
Verb
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But Attenborough has had to accept the accolades this week as scientists, politicians and conservationists celebrated the man who has brought frolicking gorillas, breaching whales and tiny poisonous frogs into living rooms around the world for more than 70 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
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While the benchmark is already up more than 16% from its March 30 lows, traders on Kalshi think the broad index has a 59% chance of breaching 8,000 this year.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Onions can be used as a companion plant to carrots to keep away the destructive carrot fly, a pest that can stunt the growth of carrots and even destroy entire plantings.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
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If an Entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or destroyed, entrant’s sole remedy shall be another entry into the Sweepstakes.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Over the last four months, Burke has been arrested four times for crimes ranging from petit larceny to burglary to assault.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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Later Thursday evening, also near Lake Merritt, police said a person suspected of arson resisted arrest and assaulted another officer, sending that officer to the hospital.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Verb
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His edict contravenes the language of the Constitution, the high court’s own rulings, legislation passed by Congress, and the consistent practice of previous Presidents.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Ukraine's skeleton racer and flag bearer Vladyslav Heraskevych was seen wearing his helmet honoring athletes from his country who were killed during the war with Russia in training this afternoon, despite the IOC saying earlier that the helmet contravenes the Olympic Charter guidelines.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Language became another area of culture to defile.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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And earlier this month, Russia prompted outrage by installing an exhibit that some commentators said defiled the Katyn Memorial, the site of the mass execution of Polish POWs by the Soviets in 1940.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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