as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
the cattle, once they were cornered in the defile, were quickly rounded up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
art conservators were careful not to do anything that might defile the holy relic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of defile
Danika Worthington, The Know, 19 June 2020
The 27-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile and burglary.
—Ria Manglapus and Lisa M. Bolton, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2019
Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
The 37-year-old former Fairfax County police recruit has since been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and physically defiling a dead body.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defile
Noun
Between Evergreen and Conifer Maxwell Creek slides north through a trailside defile, trembles through boulders in watery segments, and slips over black granite blocks in shimmery sheets at Maxwell Falls.
—Danika Worthington, The Know, 19 June 2020
The 27-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile and burglary.
—Ria Manglapus and Lisa M. Bolton, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2019
Verb
Naresh Bhatt was arrested in August on a charge of concealing a dead body and now faces charges of murder and physically defiling a dead body after police found evidence in their Manassas Park home that her body was dismembered.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
The 37-year-old former Fairfax County police recruit has since been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and physically defiling a dead body.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 4 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defile
Noun
-
As was common all over the Florida Gulf Coast, the road nearby was lined with a canyon of refrigerators and cabinets and other household items ruined by the flood waters and left out by the curb for the city to haul away.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
-
In January, thousands of portraits still at Adelaide were breathtakingly close to the Palisades Fire, which burned nearly all the homes on the other side of the canyon.—
Michael Slenske,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Seventy percent of the beaches in Gaza are polluted with sewage because of the lack of electricity, preventing them from treating wastewater.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
-
And while housing grows increasingly unaffordable, homeless camps have exploded, spilling into city parks, crowding sidewalks, and polluting sensitive waterways, despite unprecedented public spending.—
Angela Hart,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence.—
Hannah Wiseman,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
-
In a series of lawsuits following the order, plaintiffs, including 22 Democratic state attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates, argued that Trump's order violates a right protected by the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment: anyone born in the United States is a citizen.—
Terry Moseley,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This scenic gorge captivates in winter, when water rushing over the vertical cliff walls freezes into a silent, crystal cathedral of blue-and-white icicles.—
Lisa Kadane,
AFAR Media,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Visitors can get a great tour of the park via the 83-mile scenic drive that offers stunning views of the river and its gorge around every twist and turn of the three-hour journey.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Calls to poison control centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion increased 530 percent between 2012 and 2021, according to one analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The reception of the fourth season was colored by the lingering resonance of the Jan. 6 insurrection, by the still vivid image of American landmarks being desecrated by costumed citizens.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Unruly tourists have caused traffic jams and public commotions, offended local sensibilities, trashed the environment, and desecrated sacred sites.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Four people were killed and another was severely injured on Thursday when their cable car crashed into a ravine in Italy.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The Romans established Londinium just north of the river’s marshy valley after invading Britain in 43 C.E. Colossal wooden quays stood on the ancient settlement’s riverbank.—
Sean Kingsley,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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