as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
the cattle, once they were cornered in the defile, were quickly rounded up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
art conservators were careful not to do anything that might defile the holy relic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of defile
Danika Worthington, The Know, 19 June 2020
The 27-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile and burglary.
—Ria Manglapus and Lisa M. Bolton, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2019
Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
On the deepest level, Schulman felt himself to be defiled and ridiculed by his participation in the whole process, the butt of a joke perpetrated by the too-clever Talmudists seeking to one-up each other with preposterous possibilities, having their fun at Schulman’s expense.
—Tova Reich, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defile
Noun
Between Evergreen and Conifer Maxwell Creek slides north through a trailside defile, trembles through boulders in watery segments, and slips over black granite blocks in shimmery sheets at Maxwell Falls.
—Danika Worthington, The Know, 19 June 2020
The 27-year-old Woodbridge man was arrested and charged with abduction with intent to defile and burglary.
—Ria Manglapus and Lisa M. Bolton, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2019
Verb
Naresh Bhatt was arrested in August on a charge of concealing a dead body and now faces charges of murder and physically defiling a dead body after police found evidence in their Manassas Park home that her body was dismembered.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
On the deepest level, Schulman felt himself to be defiled and ridiculed by his participation in the whole process, the butt of a joke perpetrated by the too-clever Talmudists seeking to one-up each other with preposterous possibilities, having their fun at Schulman’s expense.
—Tova Reich, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for defile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defile
Noun
-
As was common all over the Florida Gulf Coast, the road nearby was lined with a canyon of refrigerators and cabinets and other household items ruined by the flood waters and left out by the curb for the city to haul away.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2025
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In January, thousands of portraits still at Adelaide were breathtakingly close to the Palisades Fire, which burned nearly all the homes on the other side of the canyon.—
Michael Slenske,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Seventy percent of the beaches in Gaza are polluted with sewage because of the lack of electricity, preventing them from treating wastewater.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
-
And while housing grows increasingly unaffordable, homeless camps have exploded, spilling into city parks, crowding sidewalks, and polluting sensitive waterways, despite unprecedented public spending.—
Angela Hart,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Not the least of which is that the terms of the settlement clearly violate antitrust law, which was the grounds for the lawsuit in the first place.—
Joe Sabin,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Earlier in the episode, Whitfield and Lindy violate Mabel — then pour hot coffee on her — before Whitfield pushes her down on the breakfast table and rapes her.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Thrill seekers and novice hikers alike will get the best views of the gorge, river, and waterfalls from the 80-foot-high suspension bridge.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Murphy proved her adventurous spirit in Zimbabwe, taking on the gorge swing — a 70-meter free fall over the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls.—
Nasha Smith,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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Calls to poison control centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion increased 530 percent between 2012 and 2021, according to one analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Kick Kennedy also was featured in news reports about her father’s affinity for desecrating animal corpses.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The company says that Greenpeace included false statements in a letter to the company’s banks that asserted construction of the pipeline desecrated tribal burial grounds and important cultural sites.—
Jennifer Safstrom,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Baboons respond with sharp warning cries that echo through the ravine.—
Julia Eskins,
Vogue,
26 Mar. 2025
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The Romans established Londinium just north of the river’s marshy valley after invading Britain in 43 C.E. Colossal wooden quays stood on the ancient settlement’s riverbank.—
Sean Kingsley,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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