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
Through gleeful anarchy, a variety of filters, and a kinetic score, the two Maries spoil themselves with sweets, outwit suitors, and desecrate the rituals of fine dining in a glorious climax of rebellion.
—
Jennifer Noyes, Air Mail, 25 Apr. 2026
Javien Wright, the man whose grave was desecrated, was, with a gun by his side, shot to death outside a house in the 1500 block of East Mulkey Street in February 2020.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
More synagogues in Canada in the past 28 months have been desecrated, burned, shot at, or threatened with bombings than in any other country.
—Jesse Brown, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
And a coke-snorting, heirloom-desecrating, funeral-crashing adversary at that.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Jennifer Noyes, Air Mail, 25 Apr. 2026
Javien Wright, the man whose grave was desecrated, was, with a gun by his side, shot to death outside a house in the 1500 block of East Mulkey Street in February 2020.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2026
More synagogues in Canada in the past 28 months have been desecrated, burned, shot at, or threatened with bombings than in any other country.
—Jesse Brown, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
And a coke-snorting, heirloom-desecrating, funeral-crashing adversary at that.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for desecrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrate
violate
Verb
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Over the past three weeks, the collapse of the once-tight bond between two of the most prominent names in AI has been the subject of a high-profile trial in Oakland, California, after Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024 for allegedly violating their commitment to keep OpenAI as a nonprofit.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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For now, Carl still looks like an ethical saint compared to Duncan, who remains committed to violating privacy laws with such brazenness that even the federal government would be moved to pass enforceable regulations against him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Desecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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