as in filthy
not clean
given the task of cleaning the animals' befouled pens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stained
to make dirty
unsightly mud and slush befouls the family car every winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluted
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
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 befouled
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Eddie Small, New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The Twits, simply trying to promote their befouled business interests, launch a campaign to restore past greatness.
—Verb
They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for befouled
Adjective
-
Merry Christmas ya filthy animals.—
-
In other words, Cunha’s job is to convince the Americans now running the federal government to give Brown’s motley crew of gender-benders, anti-Semites and filthy-rich legacies a good leaving alone.—
Verb
-
Frank doesn’t mind having people killed for his agenda, but has avoided getting his hands stained with blood.—
-
Cut the blanket into smaller pieces, avoiding areas that are worn, ripped, or stained, and turn them into pillow covers, tote bags, cushions, dog bedding, and more.—
Verb
-
Highways, viaducts, giant interchanges, and a major Metro junction viciously mutilated São Paulo’s downtown in the 1960s and ’70s, demoting it from a popular residential area to a commercial transfer hub, overcrowded and polluted by day but forlorn by night.—
-
Their natural environment is being polluted and burned down, and people still hunt them for their meat.—
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Verb
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
-
The ashes from the crematorium chimney covered the streets, sooted the rain, dirtied the snow, damaged the crops, infected every body.—
Verb
-
Residents are also urged to watch children closely while playing outdoors where mushrooms grow and to keep pets away, since animals can be poisoned as well.—
-
In June 2024, Bich poisoned a fourth relative — a teenager — who survived after collapsing and being rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered cyanide in his stomach and alerted the family, the outlets reported.—
Adjective
-
These chambers mimic Mars’ low-pressure atmosphere, dry conditions, and dusty surface.—
-
Don’t sit at home getting dusty.—
Verb
-
The exhibition features his maps and sullied backpack, toothbrush, bar of soap, and survival goods, along with photos of him sleeping on park benches, crouching on the banks of the Hudson in front of ice floes, and haunting the city.—
-
Manzur encourages that the water be sullied as part of their exhibition to the public.—
Cite this Entry
“Befouled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befouled. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share