1
as in to stain
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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.
—
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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Headless mannequins wearing the shirts of Marlon, William and Matheus Pereira — stained in red to resemble blood — were hung days after Cruzeiro’s penalty defeat to America MG in the Campeonato Mineiro semi-finals.—
Colin Millar,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Basically, color bleeding is when the dye of clothes seeps into the water during a wash cycles and stains other clothes in the load.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In addition to damaging vegetation, off-road driving can pollute water sources, threaten sensitive cultural and historical sites, endanger wildlife, and disrupt and compact the soil.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 Feb. 2025
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The millions of gallons of waste that the pigs generated each year stank horribly and polluted the air and water, turning an otherwise pleasant town into a pigsty.—
Kenny Torrella,
Vox,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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By the end of January, the Palisades and Eaton fires had collectively burned more than 37,000 acres of land, blackened more than 1,500 structures, and claimed 29 lives, according to the New York Times.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
19 Feb. 2025
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Historians will see the fires that blackened much of Los Angeles this year as one of the state’s most significant events and how recovery is managed, or mismanaged, will be legend.—
Dan Walters,
The Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
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Instead of dirtying a larger pot for your supporting dishes, this quaint cooker will come in handy for quick (or slower simmering) concoctions while matching your kitchen atmosphere.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After opening the game by driving Baltimore 73 yards for a score, culminating in his 16-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman, Jackson sullied his second possession by sailing a ball over Bateman’s head that was picked off by Bills safety Taylor Rapp.—
Michael Silver,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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That the prestige of the office is sullied by his grasp for profits.—
Eric Heavner,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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With her buzz cut and Bikini Kill T-shirt, Brie Larson’s Elektra is presented as a rebel, a provocateur, and the kind of obsessively angry soul who might well carry her microphone around town in order to besmirch her mother and berate the world.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Feb. 2025
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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
Verb
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Just as soon as that sink drain backs up, figuring out how to fix a garbage disposal jumps to number one on your to do list—after all, garbage disposal problems can be inconvenient and dirty affairs, with odors wafting up and soiled liquid dripping from the drain pipe below.—
Steven John,
Architectural Digest,
21 Jan. 2025
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His face is a death mask: gaunt and soiled, teeth pebbly, eyes dilated but piercing in their last hint of blued luminescence.—
Matt Thompson,
SPIN,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Mountaineers found some success with the full court press in the third quarter and used the ball pressure to muck the game up.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Feb. 2025
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Sure, the Blackhawks could throw $15 million a season at Mikko Rantanen or Mitch Marner this summer, or muck their way through another miserable season and hope that Kirill Kaprizov is available and willing in 2026.—
Mark Lazerus,
The Athletic,
17 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Befoul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befoul. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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