1
as in to stain
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
the enemy had befouled the water in all of the area's wells with animal carcasses
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of befoul
Capitalism is degrading us, killing us and befouling our world.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 8 June 2023
At a 2019 commencement address, Mr. Adams told a story about intimidating a neighbor whose dog was befouling his yard.
—Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 1 June 2023
This roman à clef series begins with the patriarch of the Roy clan, Logan (Brian Cox), urinating on a carpet (evoking The Big Lebowski, befouling us).
—Armond White, National Review, 5 Apr. 2023
Michael Kuta, 26, of the 700 block of South Addison Avenue, Villa Park, was cited for disorderly conduct – befouling property at 1:15 a.m. Nov. 28 after he was observed urinating on bushes in the 100 block of South York Street.
—Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, 6 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for befoul
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befoul
Verb
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It’s made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and it can even be paired with your favorite lip balm or gloss — without staining the applicator — for an extra boost of moisture.—
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In his third season in Boulder, coach Deion Sanders continues to lament an issue that ruined his first season and stained his second.—
Verb
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China’s is arguably the most important; whatever the world’s most-polluting country does will determine the planet’s climate trajectory.—
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Transition finance, where financial firms actively pursue opportunities to fund polluting companies’ emissions reductions, has become a hot area.—
Verb
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Both of her eyes were blackened.—
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The bronze had blackened and grown florid with green and white spots.—
Verb
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At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Verb
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But that historical moment was sullied when journalist Sarah Hagi posted screenshots of old X posts from Gascón, which contained racist and Islamophobic sentiments.—
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The problem is, people were drinking a lot of bad ones, sullying their opinion of the drink.—
Verb
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The rules around grand jury secrecy shouldn’t be broken and care must be taken about revealing the identities of victims and besmirching the reputations of people mentioned incidentally in the vast investigative materials.—
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Other attempts to besmirch her also fell short — as in the 2024 election, when former Sen. Randolph Bracy launched an ugly attempt to oust her from the District 15 Senate seat.—
Verb
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Flames clear undergrowth and add ash and nutrients to soil.—
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Stain-free bedding can go into the dryer, while soiled bedding can be treated and washed again.—
Verb
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There are also sparking car engines, microwave ovens, lightning strikes, GPS signals, reflections off the ionosphere, and even bird poop on the antenna to muck things up.—
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After 30 years of mucking about with a kings-of-Britpop rivalry, Damon Albarn is admitting what everyone and Flimsy Steve have known for some time: Oasis is a bigger deal than Blur.—
Cite this Entry
“Befoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befoul. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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