1
as in to stain
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of befoul
Capitalism is degrading us, killing us and befouling our world.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 June 2023
At a 2019 commencement address, Mr. Adams told a story about intimidating a neighbor whose dog was befouling his yard.
—Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 1 June 2023
This roman à clef series begins with the patriarch of the Roy clan, Logan (Brian Cox), urinating on a carpet (evoking The Big Lebowski, befouling us).
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2023
Michael Kuta, 26, of the 700 block of South Addison Avenue, Villa Park, was cited for disorderly conduct – befouling property at 1:15 a.m. Nov. 28 after he was observed urinating on bushes in the 100 block of South York Street.
—Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, 6 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for befoul
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 June 2023
At a 2019 commencement address, Mr. Adams told a story about intimidating a neighbor whose dog was befouling his yard.
—Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 1 June 2023
This roman à clef series begins with the patriarch of the Roy clan, Logan (Brian Cox), urinating on a carpet (evoking The Big Lebowski, befouling us).
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2023
Michael Kuta, 26, of the 700 block of South Addison Avenue, Villa Park, was cited for disorderly conduct – befouling property at 1:15 a.m. Nov. 28 after he was observed urinating on bushes in the 100 block of South York Street.
—Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, 6 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for befoul
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befoul
Verb
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Any home cleaning product can cause staining and shrinking.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Address any spills in your sink right away to reduce the opportunity for staining.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Other public speakers, like Tabitha Fader, said the reroute would cause irreparable harm if wetlands and rivers were polluted during pipeline construction or in the event of a spill.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Industry, transportation, and creating electricity are polluting.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Currently, according to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Video of the aftermath showed only debris from the collision and the ground blackened as though from a large explosion or fire.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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Some were prosthetic buttocks, but others were people’s own buttocks, but in various states, like dirtied down and with partial covering.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The problem is, people were drinking a lot of bad ones, sullying their opinion of the drink.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
30 Aug. 2025
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For the most part, this is about strained resources, not sullied reputations.—
Emma Whitford,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The rules around grand jury secrecy shouldn’t be broken and care must be taken about revealing the identities of victims and besmirching the reputations of people mentioned incidentally in the vast investigative materials.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 July 2025
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Other attempts to besmirch her also fell short — as in the 2024 election, when former Sen. Randolph Bracy launched an ugly attempt to oust her from the District 15 Senate seat.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Wearing shoes in the home tracks soil from outside, leaving floors dirtier and requiring more frequent sweeping.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
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The former president had probably dreamt of the moment of her upcoming detention before, imagining crowds of frenzied supporters standing between her and the police , unwilling to allow their leader to be soiled by the dirty hands of the crooked security forces.—
Agustino Fontevecchia,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There are also sparking car engines, microwave ovens, lightning strikes, GPS signals, reflections off the ionosphere, and even bird poop on the antenna to muck things up.—
David Szondy
July 27,
New Atlas,
27 July 2025
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After 30 years of mucking about with a kings-of-Britpop rivalry, Damon Albarn is admitting what everyone and Flimsy Steve have known for some time: Oasis is a bigger deal than Blur.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befoul. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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