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
show current usage.
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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
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
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 indicted Monday morning by a grand jury in Prince William County on two new charges − first-degree murder and physically defiling a dead body − after his wife, Mamta Kafle Bhatt, disappeared this summer, Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo announced Monday.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
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
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Immigration Canyon is one of those classic, great motorcycle canyons.—
DeMarco Williams,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Many of the park’s main canyons and stunning rock features were carved by glaciers over millions of years.—
Paul Rogers,
The Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Slowing down enforcement could be considered a license to pollute — but industry would have to take a leap of faith that enforcers won’t catch up with them.—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2025
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Loosening wastewater rules will pollute soil and negatively impact crops even more, McBride said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The latest case before the court involves Louisiana's congressional map, which was redrawn last year to add a second majority-Black district to comply with Section 2, but then was found to be a racial gerrymander that violated the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2025
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Typically, the Office for Civil Rights investigates a complaint and finds out whether a school or district has violated its obligation to serve students with disabilities.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Thrill seekers and novice hikers alike will get the best views of the gorge, river, and waterfalls from the 80-foot-high suspension bridge.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
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Murphy proved her adventurous spirit in Zimbabwe, taking on the gorge swing — a 70-meter free fall over the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls.—
Nasha Smith,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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His story of being put on a Kremlin kill list after exposing the Kremlin plot to poison Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is told in Antidote, a documentary directed by James Jones that also premiered at CPH:DOX.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2025
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That’s the cult whose members famously took their own life drinking poisoned Kool-Aid.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The company says that Greenpeace included false statements in a letter to the company’s banks that asserted construction of the pipeline desecrated tribal burial grounds and important cultural sites.—
Jennifer Safstrom,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2025
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How could the Chicago Archdiocese allow the Rev. Michael Pfleger to desecrate sacred parish grounds built on American soil and off the sweat of immigrants?—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2025
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Baboons respond with sharp warning cries that echo through the ravine.—
Julia Eskins,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2025
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Then on Sunday, the weather will shift further east and into the middle Mississippi Valley and portions of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, AccuWeather said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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