as in contaminated
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1
as in polluted
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 violated
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defiled
Barry Williams,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2026
And earlier this month, Russia prompted outrage by installing an exhibit that some commentators said defiled the Katyn Memorial, the site of the mass execution of Polish POWs by the Soviets in 1940.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Among the false claims Energy Transfer alleged Greenpeace had spread was that the energy company defiled Native American cultural boundaries.
—
Mark Curriden,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Militia members had ransacked and defiled the house.
—
Yousra Elbagir,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
As a state legislator, Lincoln stood against slave catchers backed by the federal government who defiled our state’s laws and terrorized our most vulnerable.
—
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
The work of love, and the question of what happens when love is absent or defiled, became a central preoccupation.
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Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Their beautiful sanctuary has been defiled, and Emily is fired.
—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2025
After occupying forces defiled the temple, a small army led by Judah the Maccabee liberated the sanctuary.
—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Tesla’s desecration follows a vandalism spree in Queens that saw religious centers, homes and vehicles defiled with swastikas and antisemitic slogans last month.
—
Barry Williams,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2026
And earlier this month, Russia prompted outrage by installing an exhibit that some commentators said defiled the Katyn Memorial, the site of the mass execution of Polish POWs by the Soviets in 1940.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Among the false claims Energy Transfer alleged Greenpeace had spread was that the energy company defiled Native American cultural boundaries.
—
Mark Curriden,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
Militia members had ransacked and defiled the house.
—
Yousra Elbagir,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
As a state legislator, Lincoln stood against slave catchers backed by the federal government who defiled our state’s laws and terrorized our most vulnerable.
—
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
The work of love, and the question of what happens when love is absent or defiled, became a central preoccupation.
—
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Their beautiful sanctuary has been defiled, and Emily is fired.
—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2025
After occupying forces defiled the temple, a small army led by Judah the Maccabee liberated the sanctuary.
—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiled
Adjective
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The life-threatening species that's found in water can also sicken or kill people who eat contaminated seafood, such as raw oysters infected with the bacteria.
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Every dollar a family spends on cancer treatment or a hospital stay tied to contaminated water is a dollar that better rules could have saved them.
Verb
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As a result, many people living near Mavecure have gotten out of gold mining, which polluted the jungle rivers with mercury and sediment, to work as tour guides, operate restaurants and hostels, or sell arts and crafts.
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At the latter, four local farmers show The Athletic water courses polluted with crude oil.
Verb
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The case claims Disney violated federal antitrust law and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws.
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The nonprofit, which alleged the county violated the Surplus Lands Act by not first exploring affordable-housing development at the site, still has not dismissed its lawsuit.
Adjective
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Gluba said the city has only confirmed two tainted copies of the guide, but is investigating the magnitude of the distribution.
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People can contract a diarrheal infection from tainted food or water, with symptoms most often beginning three to four days after contact with the bacteria.
Verb
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The special bond between Supergirl and her scruffy animal sidekick becomes a key plot point in Kara’s new solo movie, where Krypto is poisoned by space outlaw Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
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Kara Zor-El (Alcock) goes on a planet-hopping mission to save her beloved Krypto – with young and vengeful girl Ruthye (Eve Ridley) in tow – after he’s poisoned by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
Verb
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Those are the kinds of things that can't be broken into or taken away or desecrated.
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The mission also alleges that evidence was planted and bodies were desecrated.
Adjective
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Wise’s wistful songwriting is retained, but completely missing is his intentionally impure palette.
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Kanto practitioners believe that women cannot participate because, according to Japan's Shinto religion, women's blood from menstruation and childbirth is considered impure for the purpose of religious rituals.
Adjective
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Despite the unclean baseball in the eighth, there were no shortage of excellent performances over the first seven innings.
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The police report said that a woman at the residence, who was suffering a deep cut on her wrist and multiple cuts to her hand, alleged to police Thorpe entered the residence and got upset with the unclean condition in the home, the outlets reported.
Cite this Entry
“Defiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiled. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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