violates

Definition of violatesnext
present tense third-person singular of violate
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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

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 violates Because of this, Medeiros said, the question for many businesses becomes less about getting ICE to leave their property and more about what to do if ICE violates consent and other legal requirements. Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026 Democratic senators from Oregon, New Mexico and Massachusetts asked Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores in a letter this month, saying that the mass generation of non-consensual sexualized images violates the stores’ distribution terms. Lola Murti, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026 But during the searches, personal and even intimate content has also been exposed, leading to complaints that the practice violates constitutional protections of private life. Cnn, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026 Some freshmen this semester will likely say Maduro’s unusual arrest violates international law. Ana L. Ros, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026 Because of this, Medeiros said, the question for many businesses becomes less about getting ICE to leave their property and more about what to do if ICE violates consent and other legal requirements. Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026 This is precisely the type of coercion and commandeering that violates the 10th Amendment. Laura Romero, ABC News, 26 Jan. 2026 On Monday, a federal judge is hearing arguments on whether the immigration operation in Minnesota violates the Constitution. Philip Wang, Time, 26 Jan. 2026 The Native American Guardian’s Association (NAGA) argued that the New York Board of Regents’ 2023 rule banning the use of Native names or imagery by public schools is discriminatory and violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal treatment under the law. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violates
Verb
  • And just seeing the damage there just breaks my heart.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
  • My heart breaks for her family.
    Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • An excuse or explanation by itself, even while being transparent, destroys trust.
    Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Beyond the immediate loss of land, erosion frequently exposes or destroys historic and archaeological sites.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The two have always had an uneasy relationship, but in the series' first episode, Constance’s son Willem (Toby Hemingway) rapes Fiona’s daughter Dahlia (Diana Silvers), and is murdered by the Nolan family because of it.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
  • Soon after police arrested Bernardo for the Scarborough rapes, he and Homolka were also linked to the murders of three teenage girls between 1990 and 1992, according to CTV News.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Trump seems unconcerned that extorting his partners contravenes the principles of what was designed as a free-trade accord.
    Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025
  • There seemed to be an element of sadomasochistic play in their relationship, of withholding and succumbing, that contravenes the popular sense of an unremitting dominant-submissive dynamic.
    Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
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
  • The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted.
    Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point.
    Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If that language offends you — come on.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
  • If one employee offends another, they are fired on the spot.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Jan. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Violates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violates. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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