as in filthy
not clean
given the task of cleaning the animals' befouled pens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stained
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluted
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
the enemy had befouled the water in all of the area's wells with animal carcasses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of befouled
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Fennell also cut the novel’s frame story, in which the events of the story are told by the housekeeper Nelly (played in the movie by Hong Chau) to an outside observer years after all the sorrowful drama that befouled Heathcliff and Cathy.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled.
—Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The Twits, simply trying to promote their befouled business interests, launch a campaign to restore past greatness.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
Los Angeles, that magical realm of shimmering natural beauty, was befouled by smog — maybe forever.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Fennell also cut the novel’s frame story, in which the events of the story are told by the housekeeper Nelly (played in the movie by Hong Chau) to an outside observer years after all the sorrowful drama that befouled Heathcliff and Cathy.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled.
—Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befouled
Adjective
-
Reach-in coolers that didn’t keep food safe from bacteria growth and utensils stored in filthy spots shut down a Miami restaurant after inspection last week.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Stanley dealers were not in cutthroat competition for filthy lucre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Additional surveillance footage showed Marcelin in his building's laundry room cleaning a kitchen mat that appears stained with blood, according to prosecutors.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That is exactly what this film cleverly does — pinpoints the insidious nature of far-right movements and the creeping rhetoric that has polluted our society.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Water sources are often polluted through run-off from lawns that contain herbicides.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Who cares about the fact that her friend cheated when her child was poisoned by her husband and her father?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that his New York conviction last year was poisoned by bad blood among jurors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2020, stargazers flocked to dark sky locations to view the cosmic traveler Neowise, a visible comet then 64 million miles from Earth, with a dusty tail extending more than a million miles.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The dusty chocolate coating is bitter and unpleasant, and there isn’t enough salt to offset it.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouled. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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