as in contaminated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in polluted
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 violated
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiled
Adjective
-
As the recall was initiated back in February, the contaminated merchandise may have since been removed from shelves.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025 -
Listen to this article The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will not reconsider its denial to investigate whether the Tijuana River Estuary qualifies as a Superfund site, a designation given to the most contaminated places in the country needing long-term cleanup.—
Tammy Murga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Months later, the Department of Justice concluded that five Texas juvenile detention centers violated children's constitutional and civil rights.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
-
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the commission, by approving the plans, has violated their fundamental rights.—
Amy Green,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Drugs, success, and conflicting personalities had poisoned members’ relationships.—
Aaron Gilbreath,
SPIN,
31 Dec. 2024
-
The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But publishers are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious fraud.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Publishers, however, are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious signs of fraud.—
Guillaume Cabanac,
The Conversation,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Two major developments in the mid-1800s showed why impure water is dangerous.—
Bill Sullivan,
The Conversation,
27 Jan. 2025
-
The evocation of the boy’s impure actions, as well as the undertow of sexuality in both his parish priest’s solicitude and his father’s violence, caught the attention of the censors, who typically busied themselves outlawing pulp erotica.—
Sam Sacks,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Droughts, which can lead people to resort to unclean water, triggered outbreaks in Zambia and Zimbabwe; floods, which can destroy infrastructure and contaminate drinking water, did so in Kenya.—
ByMartin Enserink,
science.org,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Cooked rice noodles were contaminated after an employee handled them with their bare hands after touching unclean items.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Chicagoans will have no one to hold accountable at the ballot box when the buses don’t arrive and rail stations are filthy and crime-ridden.—
Forrest Claypool,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The plastic waste China received was filthy, much of it too dirty to be cleaned, shredded, and turned into new plastic.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Defiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiled. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share