as in blasphemous
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as in desecration
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as in violating
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti
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Recent Examples of desecrating
Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
And a coke-snorting, heirloom-desecrating, funeral-crashing adversary at that.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
With the help of that tiny clipping of moss, the defendants were eventually convicted of desecrating human remains in 2015.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
Gonzales-Rosales was charged with killing and desecrating a woman, his neighbor, on Easter in 2023.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
The case intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of religious minorities, following recent incidents of soldiers desecrating Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
And a coke-snorting, heirloom-desecrating, funeral-crashing adversary at that.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
With the help of that tiny clipping of moss, the defendants were eventually convicted of desecrating human remains in 2015.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026
Gonzales-Rosales was charged with killing and desecrating a woman, his neighbor, on Easter in 2023.
—Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrating
Adjective
-
Many of their performances are blasphemous, and their work only displays hate and mockery of Catholics and the Christian faith.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
This way of approaching the story would help make its portrait of Jesus all the more human, and, to some, all the more blasphemous.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
However, the Supreme Court in several cases has struck down any improper use or desecration of the flag on the grounds of free speech, according to the Library of Congress’ most frequently asked questions about flag law.—
Darleene Powells,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
-
He was charged in Linn County, Kansas with interference with law enforcement, criminal desecration and having a vicious dog at large.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
This is the justification for killing people, which, by the way, does not sound that different from the justifications governments offer for violating people’s human rights.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
The group sued to block the probe, alleging the agency was violating its First Amendment rights.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Even the recipe deemed sacrilegious in Carbonaragate cannot evoke the same dramatic reactions or touch the same sensitivities that surround cheese—a relationship that, like wine and bread, is often inseparable from faith, sometimes quite literally.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
In any other context, a house of God smattered with people staring at their phones, trusting AI to speak to them, might feel sacrilegious.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
At least, there was a lot less wrecking.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In an official statement sent to OutKick Friday morning, the ATP communications office revealed that Moutet is being fined $40,000 for his profane outburst on Monday.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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No one should be subject to listening to the most degrading and profane words that now seem popular with some people.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Noun
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David Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, told the the Washington Post he was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor destruction of government property.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
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This came on the heels of another round of tornadoes just four days earlier that leveled buildings and caused widespread destruction across the region.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
That’s probably what makes the films a little more irreverent than some of the competition.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
20 June 2026
-
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desecrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrating. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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