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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Years before, many conservatives—including myself—spoke out against grievance studies, the 1619 Project, the desecration of the curriculum.—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
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His wife Sherrie Parker, 41, and their son, Deshawn Thomas, 22, are charged with desecration of human remains and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence, according to officials.—
Noun
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The possible Cesium-137 contamination was discovered in shipping containers at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, Georgia, during routine inspections.—
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This means liquid drugs may be more at risk of contamination after expiration compared to pills.—
Noun
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The widespread violations of EMTALA by psychiatric hospitals — and the lack of enforcement — come even as America’s mental health crisis is reaching a fever pitch, with suicide rates near record highs.—
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Numerous players around the NFL were fined for violations in Week 2, as the league handed out seven different fines to players from last week for a total of $92,743.—
Noun
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The Kül unit filters and removes over 80 contaminants for clean and safe water.—
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Moreover, the byproducts of manufacturing and operating digital infrastructure can contain contaminants that, if not properly treated, pose risks to water quality and ecosystems.—
Noun
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Yes, all this is whimsical blasphemy.—
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Many societies in the past have linked swearing to blasphemy or sin.—
Noun
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The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act required the coal industry to reduce the pollutants released into the air and water.—
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Groundwater standards for all pollutants are left up to individual states, making a patchwork approach across the country.—
Noun
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There was little evidence of a refereeing error having been made, let alone corruption on an institutional level.—
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Tom and Ron Calderon, uncles to Ian Calderon, also each served in the Legislature and pleaded guilty to corruption charges in 2016.—
Noun
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For years, Apple treated the idea of windows on the iPad as sacrilege.—
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And still, Wankdorf Stadium heaved with Portuguese song, as if any other noise outside of a goal celebration might border on sacrilege.—
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Cite this Entry
“Defilement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defilement. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.
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