as in to violate
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti
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Recent Examples of desecrate
In a town in northern Peru, a teenager addicted to video games begins to desecrate the sacred ruins of his ancestors in search of money to continue playing.
—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
The case intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of religious minorities, following recent incidents of soldiers desecrating Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.
—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.
—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
The Israeli military is investigating after a photo circulating on social media shows a soldier appearing to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary in Debel, Lebanon – the same town where Israeli soldiers were photographed destroying a crucifix last month.
—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
The case intensifies international scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of religious minorities, following recent incidents of soldiers desecrating Christian religious symbols in Lebanon.
—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
This week’s discovery of the antisemitic graffiti follows the arrest of two teenage vandals for desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas in January.
—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
The Israeli military is investigating after a photo circulating on social media shows a soldier appearing to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary in Debel, Lebanon – the same town where Israeli soldiers were photographed destroying a crucifix last month.
—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrate
violate
Verb
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Judge Sullivan concluded in his June 25 decision to order Blanche to release more information or explain himself that Blanche had likely violated the transparency law.
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Guests were reportedly required to sign nondisclosure agreements before receiving any event details (although the NDAs were said not to have included any penalties for violating the terms).
Cite this Entry
“Desecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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