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
Relevance
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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Complete and utter desecration of a national monument.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025 -
In fact, the party came within a single vote of getting a constitutional amendment prohibiting desecration of the flag through Congress two decades ago.—
Frederic J. Frommer,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Foodynamics, a pet food company based in Wales, Wisconsin, is voluntarily recalling some of its products due to possible salmonella contamination.—
Eva Wen,
jsonline.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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However, seasonal shapes such as Reese's pumpkins are not gluten-free, due to cross-contamination during production.—
Endia Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Before 1999, violations could lead to a $10,000 fine, two years in prison and losing a liquor license.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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The committee has made several allegations against Blain related to public records violations, bullying and harassment.—
Susan Gill Vardon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The federal agency has been working to reduce dietary exposure to contaminants for children to as close to zero as possible.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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The microbes generate new iron-rich minerals that absorb contaminants, which can then be safely collected or reused, reducing both costs and environmental impact.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pakistan has seen a significant spike in blasphemy cases in recent years, in line with the TLP's rise.—
NPR,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
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The European Parliament has twice called for Yahaya’s release, asking Nigeria to set an example by abolishing the blasphemy laws under which he has been detained for over five years.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On one end, oil refining emits more air pollutants than any other process in the oil industry.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Results show that microbial iron mining can immobilize toxic metals and convert stubborn pollutants into less harmful compounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Now its economy has collapsed under the weight of corruption, mismanagement, human rights violations and other woes.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
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That’s what happened in October 2019, when demonstrations against corruption and high unemployment broke out across Iraq, leading to street clashes that left hundreds of people dead.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In 1998, the Lucky Chances casino opened, surrounded by graveyards on three side, which critics saw as a sacrilege.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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For years, Apple treated the idea of windows on the iPad as sacrilege.—
Craig Grannell,
Wired News,
16 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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