1
as in desecration
an act of great disrespect shown to God or to sacred ideas, people, or things
for two centuries the Christian monasteries in England suffered defilements at the hands of Viking invaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contamination
something that is or that makes impure
souvenir shops, observation towers, and other tacky defilements on Civil War battlefields that should be considered hallowed ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defilement
In this way, Lapid keeps the emotional aspect of Y’s self-defilement at the forefront of the drama.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement
Noun
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Gerlach is facing nearly 500 charges — including burglary, abuse of a corpse and desecration of monuments — tied to a disturbing investigation at Mount Moriah Cemetery near Philadelphia, the outlet reported.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Against desecration of our flag bill 4.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Neighbors were still without water in one Mountain View neighborhood on Sunday after a mistake at a construction site on Friday caused possible contamination, and neighbors are waiting for tests to reveal whether the water is safe for use.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Around 5,000 thyroid cancers have been linked to iodine contamination of milk supplies by the accident, 15 of them fatal.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Felicia Anderson, 39, is wanted on a half-dozen criminal counts, including first-degree assault, second-degree assault and weapons violations.—
Alexa Ashwell,
Baltimore Sun,
1 May 2026
-
This is a brazen violation of international law.—
Lincoln Anderson,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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If the contaminants can spread, the soil goes to a site in Emelle, Alabama, as hazardous waste.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
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Even in small amounts, these contaminants are enough to hobble normal processes.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For creatives, its use was treated like blasphemy.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Apr. 2026
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Interreligious tension exists, with arbitrary detentions of Christians and arrests under the nation’s blasphemy laws.—
Mathew Schmalz,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Health dangers of pollution Ozone and particle pollution are considered two of the most widespread and dangerous pollutants measured by the US Environmental Protection Agency.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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Trees and plants sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, filter pollutants from the air and reduce urban temperatures through shade, according to The Nature Conservancy.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Years later, drawn into a covert network of operatives and manipulated through a web of corruption, Clay must decide whether to become the weapon he was shaped to be or dismantle the system from within.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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He was also charged in another foreign corruption case in the same court in late 2024.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But by then, religious and political leaders from around the world condemned the image, some calling it a sacrilege.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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That might sound like sacrilege, because the NFL is beyond criticism for many sports fans, but the draft is the ideal example of what the league has become and the importance of gambling to modern audiences.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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