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
Relevance
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
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
Last month, Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian found that the ads violated California’s false advertising law by disseminating public statements about the disposal of property — specifically vehicle donations — that were misleading by omission.
—
Francie Ebert, NBC news, 6 June 2026
By contrast, government lawyers demanding payment of an FCC fine must prove to a jury in a de novo trial that the company violated the law.
—ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Ah, yes, partisan gerrymandering, where Democrats carve up the map of congressional districts to disenfranchise Republicans and violate the will of the voters.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
The president need not be kidnapped or injured for someone to be charged with violating either of them.
—Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for violate
Francie Ebert, NBC news, 6 June 2026
By contrast, government lawyers demanding payment of an FCC fine must prove to a jury in a de novo trial that the company violated the law.
—ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Ah, yes, partisan gerrymandering, where Democrats carve up the map of congressional districts to disenfranchise Republicans and violate the will of the voters.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
The president need not be kidnapped or injured for someone to be charged with violating either of them.
—Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for violate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violate
Verb
-
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
The roads, rubble on rubble, broken.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The mission also alleges that evidence was planted and bodies were desecrated.—
Patrick Peralta,
The Conversation,
28 May 2026
-
Celebrate the city/land, don't desecrate it.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
After the brothers were arrested in Romania, the journalists Jamie Tahsin and Matt Shea reported on the women’s stories for Vice News, and another woman said that she, too, had been strangled and raped by Tate in 2014.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
-
Raymond Lunn, 31, has been held in prison without bond since his arrest in October 2025 after nearly raping a student at JHU.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Security concerns intensified after the 2024 Copa América final, when thousands of fans breached security checkpoints, jumped fences and forced their way into Hard Rock Stadium, creating mayhem and delays before the match.—
Sofia Baltodano,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
-
The group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for breaching Instructure, the company behind the learning management system used by about 40% of universities.—
Tarika Barrett,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
The Russian president, who has never acknowledged that Ukraine is a legitimate country, or that Zelensky is its legitimate president, could continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, hoping to destroy the electrical grid and make the country unlivable.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
Okay, but 172 people did plead guilty to assaulting police officers.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
The tickets, purchased by a staff member of the non-profit, had not yet been released, and the letter added that contravening FIFA’s trademark and policies may result in them not being released at all to the buyer.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Language became another area of culture to defile.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
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 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
