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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Yet Jesus becomes angered by the desecration of the temple and begins tipping over the merchants' tables in the holy place while wielding a righteous whip.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
3 May 2025 -
In the first of thirteen live, three-hour shows (with Nelle sitting in the studio audience), the thirty-five-year-old Reagan, accompanied by four Black actors, dramatically reenacted Klan cross-burnings, beatings and shootings, and the desecration of synagogues.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Heed posted warnings Take signs about swimming risks and possible contamination seriously.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
23 May 2025
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Six schools have closed since the start of the year due to lead contamination, and only two have reopened.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
22 May 2025
Noun
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In the meantime, the city has received several reports of property violations in recent years on 925 Grand: piles of bird droppings, falling debris, people entering through unsecured entrances.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
26 May 2025
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The Crusaders held the lead the entire second set until one of two late center line violations resulted in a 23-22 deficit.—
Tim Meehan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Consumers are advised to look for faucets compliant with NSF/ANSI Standard 61, which sets limits for the presence of lead and other contaminants in drinking water systems, according to the CPSC.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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In both the Palisades and Altadena, as soon as the fires were contained, the water companies spent a full week flushing the water lines in an effort to prevent any contaminants from the fires from settling on the bottom of pipes or penetrating into chemically permeable PVC, Olivares said.—
Ashley Belanger – May 27,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Noun
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In a mix of fascination, irreverence, fandom and possible blasphemy, video compilations of cardinals with Charli XCX soundtracks have popped up online.—
Emma Bubola,
New York Times,
7 May 2025
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Five Christian groups filed complaints to Indonesian police alleging blasphemy, leading to Thalisa’s arrest on October 8.—
Jack Guy,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Brownfields are abandoned or underused properties, often industrial or commercial, where redevelopment is complicated because of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants in the soil.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
24 May 2025
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Higher temperatures also increase preterm birth by increasing levels of the harmful air pollutant called ground-level ozone.—
Sheetal Khedkar Rao,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Noun
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The series is centered on organized crime and corruption in Atlantic City during the Prohibition era, using real-life characters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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In 2014, then-Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested and pleaded guilty in federal court to public corruption charges after accepting more than $50,000 in bribes while in office.—
Nora O’Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
22 May 2025
Noun
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This is culture-making in critical condition, because even the fact that these are static industries is a version of sacrilege.—
Harmony Holiday,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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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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Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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