1
as in to stain
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
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2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
the enemy had befouled the water in all of the area's wells with animal carcasses
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Recent Examples of befoul
Hundreds of women will dress up against the cold on a gray November day to protest a pipeline that could befoul their water and will almost certainly lead to the final befouling of the planet.
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Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2022
But dip even the most blood-befouled corset in a tub of warm water and swish, swish, swish — Lucy’s lace nightgown, or a doctor’s lab coat — is restored to its original snowy sheen.
—Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 24 Oct. 2019
The poison of authoritarianism is as pervasive as the cloud of sulfur dioxide that befouled the air in East Germany.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 26 Feb. 2020
Michael Kuta, 26, of the 700 block of South Addison Avenue, Villa Park, was cited for disorderly conduct – befouling property at 1:15 a.m. Nov. 28 after he was observed urinating on bushes in the 100 block of South York Street.
—Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, 6 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for befoul 
Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2022
But dip even the most blood-befouled corset in a tub of warm water and swish, swish, swish — Lucy’s lace nightgown, or a doctor’s lab coat — is restored to its original snowy sheen.
—Mary Carole McCauley, baltimoresun.com, 24 Oct. 2019
The poison of authoritarianism is as pervasive as the cloud of sulfur dioxide that befouled the air in East Germany.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 26 Feb. 2020
Michael Kuta, 26, of the 700 block of South Addison Avenue, Villa Park, was cited for disorderly conduct – befouling property at 1:15 a.m. Nov. 28 after he was observed urinating on bushes in the 100 block of South York Street.
—Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, 6 Dec. 2019
See all Example Sentences for befoul
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befoul
Verb
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Shuford sanded it down, stained the woodwork, and then sealed it for added durability.Alyce Collins, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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Pooling water turned the dirt into a slippery mud puddle, quickly staining the bottom of the white wedding dress brown.Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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For others, the fight against a fossil fuel plant continues While Monday's vote marks the end of McKeever's political activism and the risk of a polluting facility near his home, for the residents of Mohave Valley four miles to the south, the fight continues.Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 28 Dec. 2024
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Decades of industrial dumping had polluted the water and poisoned its plants and animals.Eliza Principe Garcia, Baltimore Sun, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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On the city’s main shopping street, businesses that once bustled in the holiday season have been pulverized, and some of those that remain have been blackened by fire.Euan Ward, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
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The signage has been blackened out and many of the hospital's windows are boarded up or smashed in.Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Having dirtied himself in the catacombs beneath the papacy’s home, our scrappy archaeologist emerges into none other than a resplendent re-creation of the Sistine Chapel.Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
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Arizona Republic Cool weather and the holiday season may seem like the perfect excuse to cozy up by the fire, but too many blazing yule logs can dirty the air and put some of your neighbors at risk.Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Starbucks works hard to keep its coffee aroma from being sullied by food and other smells in its stores — employees aren’t even allowed to wear fragrances.Whizy Kim, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
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Not even a string of disappointing sequels, two bad movies, and odd franchise pivots by Konami has sullied its renown.Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Images illustrating the reality versus carefully edited Instagram selfies have somewhat besmirched Santorini’s romantic reputation of late.Helen Iatrou, AFAR Media, 16 Dec. 2024
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There’s a new promo picture going around showing a Dusty Milligan with facial hair (see: above) — and listen, not to besmirch his infinity-pool jawline, but the dude looks so much better with that scruff.Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
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When one side becomes soiled, move to a clean quarter to prevent dirt from redepositing on the glass.Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2024
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Miller spends many hours in the space, whose glass roof is by Global Solarium, not having to worry about soiling the teak table and rattan chairs by Sika or concrete counters by Cement Elegance.David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Despite missing both of their top scorers — Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — due to oblique injuries, the Magic mucked the game up early and often.Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
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Mannie then interjected that social media has a habit of mucking things up.Angel Diaz, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Befoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befoul. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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