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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Examples of desecrate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In Saltburn, a character desecrates a grave in a fashion similar to Heathcliff's own response to Cathy's burial.
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Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Sep. 2024
When a dozen of the gravestones are desecrated, a corporate agenda may be at work.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2024
One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
Authorities confiscated, desecrated, and lost sacred and ceremonial items, inflicting spiritual wounds that were less visible but no less damaging than the physical ones.
—Lauren Carasik, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2016
See all Example Sentences for desecrate 
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 23 Sep. 2024
When a dozen of the gravestones are desecrated, a corporate agenda may be at work.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2024
One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2024
Authorities confiscated, desecrated, and lost sacred and ceremonial items, inflicting spiritual wounds that were less visible but no less damaging than the physical ones.
—Lauren Carasik, Foreign Affairs, 9 Nov. 2016
See all Example Sentences for desecrate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'desecrate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Desecrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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