desecrating 1 of 3

adjective

as in blasphemous

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desecrating

2 of 3

noun

as in desecration

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desecrating

3 of 3

verb

present participle of desecrate
as in violating
to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 desecrating
Verb
After desecrating the statue, the vandal returns the hammer to his pocket, scales the fence and flees into the night, the footage shows. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 After desecrating a sacred hunting ground in their youth, four Blackfeet men are visited by dire consequences in adulthood. — Hannah Whitten, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026 The penalty is identical to that for desecrating the flag or other national emblem of a foreign state, which was already in place. — News Desk, Artforum, 17 July 2026 One is about civic commonality, the other about authoritarian cynicism; one is about a city pulling together around a common pleasure, the other about desecrating the decorum of democracy. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 June 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 And a coke-snorting, heirloom-desecrating, funeral-crashing adversary at that. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026 With the help of that tiny clipping of moss, the defendants were eventually convicted of desecrating human remains in 2015. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026 Gonzales-Rosales was charged with killing and desecrating a woman, his neighbor, on Easter in 2023. — Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for desecrating
  1. blasphemous
  2. desecration
  3. violating
  4. sacrilegious
  5. wrecking
  6. profane
  7. destruction
  8. irreverent
Adjective
  • But when The Satanic Verses was published in 1988, the novel was declared by some as blasphemous, and then-Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa for Rushdie to be assassinated, leading the author to go into hiding until 1998.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, then Iran's supreme leader, denounced the book as blasphemous, leading to a call for Rushdie's death in 1989, according to the Department of Justice.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of blasphemous
Noun
  • When Debbie, Susan, and Thom come over for a double-date pizza night, only Bret is concerned about the spate of recent home invasions, the missing pets, and the desecration of the griffin mascot.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • He was convicted of offenses including desecration of national symbols, contempt and public ​disorder, and spent five years in the Guanajay prison near Havana.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
Definition of desecration
Verb
  • In a statement, Bonta accused Paramount of violating the meeting’s confidentiality.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The announcement, which came during a contract bargaining session in July, led to frustrations within the company’s editorial union, which says the Times is violating its own editorial standards around AI use.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of violating
Adjective
  • He may have been born in Cordoba, northern Argentina, but after five years at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the notion of Romero being allowed to head the four miles south to the Emirates feels extremely problematic at best, sacrilegious at worst.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Because xenia rested on mutual trust, violating it was considered not just rude but sacrilegious.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026
Definition of sacrilegious
Noun
  • At least, there was a lot less wrecking.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The Ravens haven’t really had that game-wrecking pass rusher since Terrell Suggs was in his prime.
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of wrecking
Adjective
  • Enes Kanter Freedom exposes Natasha Cloud's profane tirade after WNBA ejection.
    — , FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Tarrant County decorum policy prohibits personal attacks, impertinent, profane, obscene, or slanderous remarks as well as threatening, disruptive or unruly behavior.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of profane
Noun
  • Despite the destruction, officials said no injuries had been reported in the city.
    — Ross DiMattei, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Her home was not damaged during the back-to-back hurricanes that hit Florida in 2024, but many people close to her experienced flooding and other destruction to their homes, businesses and schools.
    — Jessica Meszaros, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of destruction
Adjective
  • And as Maruša pushes back her departure again and again, Alja’s behavior becomes more erratic — dark and deeply sad revelations that Menart tempers with a delicately irreverent sense of humor.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Jack in the Box has some of the same ingredients — an irreverent brand voice, a broad menu and a willingness to experiment — but needs to turn them into a more coherent proposition.
    — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of irreverent

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Cite this Entry

“Desecrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/desecrating. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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