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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of violate
Some Republicans and Democrats worry the strikes violate congressional authority and lack clear strategic objectives.
—
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
There are penalties for violating the act.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
The Justice Department has said materials may have been excluded because of privilege, duplication or ongoing investigations, while critics argue the omissions may violate the transparency law’s requirement that records not be withheld for political sensitivity or reputational harm.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
The suit alleges Logan’s staff violated her constitutional right to refuse a medical procedure and ran afoul of Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violate
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
There are penalties for violating the act.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
The Justice Department has said materials may have been excluded because of privilege, duplication or ongoing investigations, while critics argue the omissions may violate the transparency law’s requirement that records not be withheld for political sensitivity or reputational harm.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
The suit alleges Logan’s staff violated her constitutional right to refuse a medical procedure and ran afoul of Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act.
—Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violate
Verb
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An historic nor’easter pummeled the region on Monday — with one spot even breaking the snow record from the Blizzard of ’78 — as power crews work around the clock to try to restore electricity for hundreds of thousands.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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In some cases, such as Providence, Rhode Island and Islip, New York, the storm broke records for snowfall, according to records from the weather service and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cops arrested a pair of teen vandals Thursday and charged them with desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas during a two-day attack, police and city officials said.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Officials determined that a total of 26 underground vaults and mausoleums were broken into or desecrated from November 2025 until the day Gerlach was caught.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The North Highlands man, 34 at the time of his attacks, then raped and beat them in his vehicle and at a home before dumping them along capital region roadsides.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
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Investigators said she had been raped and murdered a few hours before and evidence showed that she had been killed somewhere else and her body was moved to the school.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those Suns – who were without their top two scorers, All-Star guard Devin Booker (hip strain) and forward Dillon Brooks (fractured hand) – who had failed to breach 82 points in back-to-back losses before facing the Lakers on Thursday night.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
27 Feb. 2026
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Attorneys for What-A-Burger #13 and its owner, Zeb Bost, argued that Whataburger breached a decades-old agreement with the Bost family that allowed the North Carolina business to operate without interference in Stanly and Cabarrus counties.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In eastern Afghanistan, the Department of Information and Culture accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas, destroying homes and killing at least 11 people.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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The Democrat said Iran’s defenses were weakened and Saturday there was an opportunity to destroy remaining military assets.—
Anthony Shoemaker,
The Columbus Dispatch,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After a Black shoeshiner was accused of assaulting a white woman, more than 35 square blocks of the Greenwood district were burned down over the course of two days, destroying the commercial section of Greenwood and leaving thousands homeless, the website states.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
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As for Randall’s then-girlfriend, who was taken into custody days after the shooting on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime and assault with a deadly weapon, the District Attorney’s Office said there was insufficient evidence to file charges against her, and she was released.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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As a state legislator, Lincoln stood against slave catchers backed by the federal government who defiled our state’s laws and terrorized our most vulnerable.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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The work of love, and the question of what happens when love is absent or defiled, became a central preoccupation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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