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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defilement
Noun
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Both girls were also charged with arson, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and desecration of human remains.—
Rachel Hale,
USA TODAY,
21 Jan. 2025 -
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
Noun
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In October 2024, over 1,200 cases of green onions were recalled for potential salmonella contamination.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
19 Feb. 2025
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Federal and state agencies have previously tested soil after major wildfires to confirm that contamination levels are at the acceptable limit.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Since this was a probation violation, Einstein was sent back to jail.—
Keith Sharon,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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Speaking to reporters after the meeting, U.S. officials did not dwell on Russia’s violation of international law in attacking Ukraine, on the war crimes Moscow has been accused of or on the three years of devastation caused by Russian shelling and bombardment.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Pacific Palisades residents who have been unable to safely use their tap water due to carcinogens in the system have a new tool to track their utility’s progress in flushing out the contaminants.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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Among those affected were employees reviewing data on novel animal medicines and working to ensure that pet food and animal feed were free of contaminants.—
Emily Anthes,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Yet on October 11, the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) issued an opinion, non-binding but influential, that Ahok’s statement was indeed blasphemy.—
Sidney Jones,
Foreign Affairs,
26 May 2017
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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
Noun
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The Indiana farm was fined over permit violations for excess pollutants in its discharged water.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Feb. 2025
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Known for being one of the most dangerous pollutants in existence, methylmercury is released into the environment via industrial activities such as the burning of coal.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The mayor has been under sharp scrutiny since President Trump’s Department Justice Department last week ordered prosecutors in his federal corruption case to drop the criminal charges against him.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
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Four senior deputies to New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced their resignations Monday after the Justice Department moved to dismiss his corruption case.—
Zach Halaschak,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Such a transformation would represent an irrevocable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city’s rich history but also to the cultural legacy for the future generations.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Feb. 2025
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For many liberals and radicals, beginning with Lord Byron, Elgin was a vandal who had committed sacrilege.—
Ralph Leonard,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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