violates

present tense third-person singular of violate
1
2
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

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 In addition to the First Amendment, TikTok, Meta and Google argue that the law violates Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields tech companies from liability for material posted on their sites by third parties. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026 In September, Numme sued her landlord, alleging that the elimination of her parking violates California’s fair housing and disability laws, as well as city tenant anti-harassment laws. — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026 The plaintiffs argued that Trump’s order exceeds his presidential authority and violates the Constitution, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Privacy Act. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026 But Gunn signed a professional contract with the Calgary Surge, which directly violates the SEC’s latest eligibility rules. — Pj Green november 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026 The lawsuit argues the change violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it was adopted without explanation and the First Amendment, which protects lawyers' ability to advise people of their legal rights and seek prospective clients. — Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026 For example, a court can reject an agreement obtained through coercion or fraud, or one that violates a person’s constitutional rights or other applicable laws. — Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 29 Oct. 2026 California law prohibits law enforcement from using resources to assist immigration enforcement, and guidance from Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasizes that whether police involvement violates state law depends on specific circumstances. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026 On October 9, 2026, a federal district court ruled that the policy exceeds the Justice Department's authority, is arbitrary and capricious, and violates federal law. — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violates
Verb
  • My heart breaks for the family and friends of the jogger in Brooklyn.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Boise proper is reliably blue, and the rest of the county typically breaks red.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Ghidorah, a dragon who arrived from outer space, destroys a city in the opening set piece and only gets more dangerous from there.
    — James Grebey, Time, 3 Nov. 2026
  • This overfeeding triggers a runaway nuclear explosion that usually destroys the white dwarf.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In that film’s story, Insiang (Hilda Koronel) metes out revenge against Dado (Ruel Vernal), her hateful mother’s lover, who rapes her after rejecting his advances.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people.
    — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 8 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Chris Brown physically assaults then-girlfriend Rihanna Brown and then-girlfriend Rihanna had an argument that escalated into physical violence on the part of Brown.
    — Alex Heigl, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
    — Christina Fan, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Verb
  • Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris returning from NFL training camps to college offends my sensibilities.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But something about this circus just offends me on a spiritual level.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Through the ball’s circular shape and its lack of color, the painting knowingly winks at Piet Mondrian’s Composition 10 in Black and White (1915), then defiles the Dutch modernist’s aesthetic purity.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • 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 13 Nov. 2026.

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