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
During the French Revolution, Louis XIV’s tomb was desecrated and his remains scattered.
—
Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 23 July 2025
To approximate that art entirely by proxy, without confronting the drama, is to desecrate it.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 17 June 2025
Through its four-season run, The O.C. managed to celebrate (or desecrate) every single holiday or occasion imaginable.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 June 2025
Anyone who desecrates these sacred places will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Helen I. Bennett, Hartford Courant, 23 July 2025
To approximate that art entirely by proxy, without confronting the drama, is to desecrate it.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 17 June 2025
Through its four-season run, The O.C. managed to celebrate (or desecrate) every single holiday or occasion imaginable.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 June 2025
Anyone who desecrates these sacred places will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrate
violate
Verb
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Just days ago, Russian drones violated Polish airspace, drawing a reaction from NATO.—
Oleksandra Matviichuk,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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That means public institutions that fire workers for comments in their personal capacity may be violating their constitutional rights, experts told IndyStar.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Desecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrate. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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