1
as in to break
to fail to keep
you've violated the company's rule against smoking within 30 feet of the building
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to desecrate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
the invaders violated the temple by using it to stable their horses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of violate
Krasner’s lawsuit accuses Musk and his PAC of violating Pennsylvania consumer protection laws, in addition to lottery laws, with the giveaway, which requires participants to sign a petition supporting the Constitution.
—
Gary Grumbach,dan Mangan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Alabama asked the Supreme Court to reverse that decision and, if necessary, reconsider past rulings on how states must evaluate intellectual disabilities to avoid violating the Constitution.
—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Media and transparency Lee says she was fired after refusing to violate California’s open records law.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
All 22 reports mentioned a Waymo car that either was the only one operating during a collision or was driving in such a way as to potentially violate traffic laws.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate 
Gary Grumbach,dan Mangan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024
Alabama asked the Supreme Court to reverse that decision and, if necessary, reconsider past rulings on how states must evaluate intellectual disabilities to avoid violating the Constitution.
—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Media and transparency Lee says she was fired after refusing to violate California’s open records law.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
All 22 reports mentioned a Waymo car that either was the only one operating during a collision or was driving in such a way as to potentially violate traffic laws.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violate
Verb
-
As his questioning crosses taboos and boundaries, raising Sister Barnes’ hackles, cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung’s camera, which has been cutting between various degrees of close-up as the conversation progresses, breaks free from stasis.Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Democrats appear unlikely to break the supermajority at the Statehouse, even as some of the most competitive races remain uncalled.Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
And yet a joint biography is the only kind that feels appropriate; posthumously disentangling one brother from the other seems tantamount to desecrating a corpse, for Jacob and Wilhelm were ardently inseparable.Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
-
The third film sees David Howard Thornton return as the diabolical Art the Clown, who desecrates bodies left and right during the Christmas season.Michaela Zee, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested in 2018 in a Sacramento, California, suburb on suspicion of being the man who killed 12 people and raped more than 50 women in the 1970s and 1980s.Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
-
In 2023, Roy Rosselló of the boy band Menudo said that he was drugged and raped by José Menendez, an entertainment executive, in the 1980s.Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Russia has also breached a sacred tenet of nuclear security by launching attacks against Ukraine from military bases that store nuclear warheads, thus making those bases a legitimate target for counteroffensives.William M. Moon, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Moscow's troops have also breached Ukrainian defenses near Toretsk.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Approximately 40 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was first reported at 11:43 a.m., destroyed one building, damaged at least three others, and downed utility wires along 17th Street.Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
-
The fire destroyed an apartment building near Ammons Street and West 12th Avenue, killing two cats and displacing four people, according to West Metro Fire Rescue.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
He was arrested in Savannah and is charged with felony counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, and obstruction of law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.Phil Helsel, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
-
According to reports, Buckshot was assaulted last Thursday (Oct. 31), in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Despite Guterres reiterating that Russia's invasion contravenes the UN Charter, Ukraine's leadership remains firm in opposing any engagement that legitimizes Russia's actions.Katya Soldak, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
-
Audi Side-view cameras cut drag slightly, but contravene the federal motor vehicle safety standards.Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024
Verb
-
With the chaos of his homelife leaving him on autopilot, Frank cares little about being caught defiling the library; his aloofness is disconcerting, especially coming from someone so young.Caroline Madden, Vulture, 8 July 2024
-
Whether Donald Trump is defiling the most sacred section of Arlington National Cemetery, committing felonies, attempting to overthrow the government or stealing confidential documents, the message is clear: Rules shouldn’t apply to Trump.Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near violate
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violate. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share