1
as in broke
to fail to keep
you've violated the company's rule against smoking within 30 feet of the building
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroyed
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
the invaders violated the temple by using it to stable their horses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in raped
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent
criminal statutes delineating acts that constitute violating another person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of violated
If the director and board both agree the investigation showed police policy was violated, the Cincinnati city manager will make a final decision regarding punishment, if warranted.
—
Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
That case alleges the feds violated their contract with the GDC by refusing to pay out funds promised by Congress.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
Jensen said the business violated public nudity codes and the people arrested were cited for misdemeanors and released.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Cross later filed a federal lawsuit against Nanos, claiming the sheriff violated his First Amendment rights.
—Peter D'abrosca , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
In 2022, the state Fourth District Court of Appeal sided with Heard, ruling that denying resentencing to people with de facto life-without-parole sentences — while allowing it for people sentenced to formal life without parole — violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
While that is the standard that would be considered in a civil case, local investigators are also looking into whether any state laws were violated.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Members of the United Professional Educators union said that moving administrators to classroom positions violated the terms of their bargaining agreement and state labor code.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The incident began on Friday, when officers received a report that Sierra had violated a protective order involving a minor.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2026
That case alleges the feds violated their contract with the GDC by refusing to pay out funds promised by Congress.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
Jensen said the business violated public nudity codes and the people arrested were cited for misdemeanors and released.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Cross later filed a federal lawsuit against Nanos, claiming the sheriff violated his First Amendment rights.
—Peter D'abrosca , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
In 2022, the state Fourth District Court of Appeal sided with Heard, ruling that denying resentencing to people with de facto life-without-parole sentences — while allowing it for people sentenced to formal life without parole — violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
—Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
While that is the standard that would be considered in a civil case, local investigators are also looking into whether any state laws were violated.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Members of the United Professional Educators union said that moving administrators to classroom positions violated the terms of their bargaining agreement and state labor code.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The incident began on Friday, when officers received a report that Sierra had violated a protective order involving a minor.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violated
Verb
-
But looming is the question of whether the federal immigration officers who pulled the triggers in both cases actually broke the law, a question that will come down to complicated issues that are much harder to define than the outrage that prompted calls for accountability.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Vatrano was relegated to the bottom six and then broke his shoulder.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The storm that destroyed the home of Shaun and Karen Powers hit three months after the phone call that put an end to Coppermark’s strategy of flooding the insurance department with complaints.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The Talmud teaches that Jerusalem was destroyed not only because of hatred, but because of sinat chinam, baseless hatred fueled by moral absolutism.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The jury members, who included seven women and five men, could not reach a verdict on the third count alleging the actor raped a longtime girlfriend.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Last week, the court heard testimony from another young woman who claimed Hoiby raped her at another after-party in the basement of his parents' royal estate outside Oslo in December 2018.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The indictment said a group of about 20 militants breached the main gate and set fire to the buildings, killing Stevens and Smith.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
If that 45-day minimum before the TVOD window is breached, that inflection point leads to massive erosion of theatrical revenue.—
Joseph M. Singer,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Officials determined that a total of 26 underground vaults and mausoleums were broken into or desecrated from November 2025 until the day Gerlach was caught.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In 1993, White Supremacists in Billings desecrated a Jewish cemetery, sent bomb threats to a synagogue and threw a brick at a menorah in the window of a five-year-old Jewish boy.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The charges stem from an incident in which Diggs allegedly assaulted the unnamed female employee over a paycheck dispute at his Dedham, Massachusetts, residence, according to a criminal complaint obtained by The Enterprise, part of the USA TODAY Network.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Then, in 2012, a process server sued Hadder, claiming he was assaulted and wrongfully arrested while trying to serve a subpoena.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Kremlin denied Russia's tests of the Burevestnik missile at a nuclear facility contravened nuclear weapons testing regulations.—
Barney Henderson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Villa contravened these restrictions last season, time and time again.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The work of love, and the question of what happens when love is absent or defiled, became a central preoccupation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Their beautiful sanctuary has been defiled, and Emily is fired.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Violated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violated. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
