1
as in breaks
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 destroys
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 rapes
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
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Recent Examples of violates
The question facing the justices is whether that requirement for advance permission violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
—
Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 June 2026
The Cook County Chief Judge's office is in charge of the program, but no one from their office spoke at the meeting; and no one from the Cook County Sheriff's office, which executes arrest warrants when someone violates terms of their monitoring, attended the meeting.
—Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 9 June 2026
According to the lawsuit, UFC Freedom 250 violates National Park Service policy that prohibits sporting events on the South Lawn.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Boston, the lone plaintiff in the lawsuit, asserted that the measure violates the state and federal constitutions and targets Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of those elections.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
At Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting, the city approved the hiring of a lawyer to challenge any action taken by the sheriff that violates the terms of the contract.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2026
The suit, filed on June 1 in the District Court’s Dallas division by Dallas firm Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, claims that the destruction of the mural, designated as Whaling Wall 82, violates the artist’s rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA).
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 2 June 2026
What happened Florida on Monday sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the company’s AI chatbot violates state consumer protection laws.
—Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 2 June 2026
The 8-1 majority sided with a Christian counselor in Colorado Springs who argued the state law’s ban on talk therapy violates the First Amendment.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
Nina Totenberg, NPR, 9 June 2026
The Cook County Chief Judge's office is in charge of the program, but no one from their office spoke at the meeting; and no one from the Cook County Sheriff's office, which executes arrest warrants when someone violates terms of their monitoring, attended the meeting.
—Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 9 June 2026
According to the lawsuit, UFC Freedom 250 violates National Park Service policy that prohibits sporting events on the South Lawn.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Boston, the lone plaintiff in the lawsuit, asserted that the measure violates the state and federal constitutions and targets Democratic strongholds under the guise of taking politics out of those elections.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
At Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting, the city approved the hiring of a lawyer to challenge any action taken by the sheriff that violates the terms of the contract.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2026
The suit, filed on June 1 in the District Court’s Dallas division by Dallas firm Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, claims that the destruction of the mural, designated as Whaling Wall 82, violates the artist’s rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA).
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 2 June 2026
What happened Florida on Monday sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the company’s AI chatbot violates state consumer protection laws.
—Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 2 June 2026
The 8-1 majority sided with a Christian counselor in Colorado Springs who argued the state law’s ban on talk therapy violates the First Amendment.
—Elizabeth Hernandez, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violates
Verb
-
In the end, McGinniss’s new team breaks his heart, as all your rooting interests in sports eventually will.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Franklin breaks score open with three runs in fourth.—
Darren Sabedra,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
Young people must understand clearly that violence destroys not only victims, but entire families and communities.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
-
But Bogan told the outlet those assurances fall short if construction bulldozes the critical turtle habitat, compromises the manmade earthen dam that holds the springs' pond, or destroys the mesquite thicket downstream where turtles shelter in winter.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.—
TIME,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Nothing beats cuteness except watching violence be enacted upon the cuteness; like an aural Happy Tree Friends, Skulls tosses pom-poms of fuzz into the sky then desecrates them.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
17 Dec. 2025
-
In the world of Monster, a person who takes lives and desecrates corpses might someday be capable of redemption.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
But these arguments, about how free expression is defined, whether art that offends is inherently harmful, and whose sensibilities determine what art gets shown to the public, would recur again and again.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Very little offends me in a moral sense in the theater, but parts of this script came close.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Moral and intellectual descent is inherent in a political project that sets out to undermine liberal democracy, reject the inclusive egalitarianism of modern America, find enemies to demonize, and heroize a leader who defiles common decency.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Violates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violates. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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