defilement

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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement
Noun
  • Robbed of the event’s usual flair, the competitors instead put on a display of oafish masculinity, eating Combos on the ice and getting overly handsy with a female partner, among other desecrations of the sport.
    Dan Reilly, Vulture, 30 July 2024
  • Jared Krysiak pleaded guilty to a charge of desecration of human remains in connection with brutal slaying of Kerry Rollason, according to a statement released by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Cucumber recalls Multiple different cucumber products have been recalled over concerns of potential salmonella contamination.
    Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • The fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades consumed not only trees, brush and timber from people’s homes but also lead acid car batteries, plastic pipes, synthetic furniture, paint and untold other potential sources of contamination.
    Jack Healy, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The first shot was off from Solo Ball, who finished with a game-high 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting, and the second didn’t leave Jayden Ross’ hand in time, a shot clock violation with five seconds left that allowed the Musketeers to seal the game at the free throw line.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2025
  • Weidner is trying to get several South Florida cities, including Davie and Boca Raton, to join in, calling homes subject to foreclosure because of aggressive enforcement of code violations a potential goldmine of untapped revenue.
    Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Personal air monitors won't tell you what toxic contaminants are in the air.
    Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The contaminants in the burn scars may pose a threat for years.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • But there is evidence that French society is shifting on the acceptance of blasphemy, particularly among France’s 5-million-strong Muslim population and the younger generation.
    Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The other side: To turkey's defenders, this is blasphemy — and the haters revealing their own poor culinary skills.
    Jeff Weiner, Axios, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Specifically designed to shield your skin from environmental stressors like pollutants and free radicals—culprits behind premature aging, dullness, and inflammation—this toner does more than refresh.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 19 Jan. 2025
  • Decades of health science have demonstrated that such pollutants damage the health of those who breathe them in regularly.
    Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Although Russia has struggled to embrace startup culture, the big contractors have a stranglehold on the supply process; corruption is endemic, and the military know who to buy from.
    David Hambling, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The council has been target of calls for a reconfiguration following its lack of action on the corruption allegations, dissatisfaction with many of its decisions and the escalating gang violence.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • But sometimes movies need a little sacrilege to achieve their full potential.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024
  • However, that didn’t stop right-wing figures around the world, including Donald Trump, from claiming that the performance amounted to sacrilege, leading to widespread harassment against Jolly, as well as some of the performers involved.
    James Factora, Them, 29 Oct. 2024
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near defilement

Cite this Entry

“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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