VIOLATES Synonyms: 112 Similar and Opposite Words

violates

verb

present tense third-person singular of violate

as in breaks

to fail to keep you've violated the company's rule against smoking within 30 feet of the building

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as in destroys

to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect the invaders violated the temple by using it to stable their horses

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rapes

to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent criminal statutes delineating acts that constitute violating another person

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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 violates In the lawsuit Friday over Golden State Wind, California argues the deal violates the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which gives California input into offshore leasing decisions. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 This violates right-to-delete laws, and worse, hackers can reverse-engineer those leftover AI files to steal sensitive health data. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In another recent case filed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Supreme Court ruled that federal limits on how much a political party can spend in coordination with candidates violates the First Amendment. — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 Association governing documents typically require boards to act when a resident violates safety rules or threatens others in the common areas. — Evonne Andris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 The California Department of Industrial Relations has tapped the state’s workers’ compensation fund to pay for internal investigations of its employees, a practice critics say violates state law restricting how that money can be spent. — Joe Rubin, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026 The money could be forfeited if the company violates its contractual agreement. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2026 The students are challenging those actions in federal court, arguing that FIU's policy – and its application to their silent demonstration – violates their First Amendment rights. — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 These employees do not have the authority to arrest someone who violates the conditions of electronic monitoring. — Eileen Burke, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for violates

Verb

One company, ZBiotics, touts a bacteria modified to produce an enzyme that breaks acetaldehyde down.

— Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply.

— Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of breaks

Verb

T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroys

Verb

In that film’s story, Insiang (Hilda Koronel) metes out revenge against Dado (Ruel Vernal), her hateful mother’s lover, who rapes her after rejecting his advances.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.

— TIME, Time, 7 Apr. 2026

Definition of rapes

Verb

The ban contravenes advice from the World Health Organization, which advises against travel or trade restrictions with Congo, where officials are currently struggling to contain a large ⁠outbreak of Ebola.

— Reuters, NBC news, 19 July 2026
His edict contravenes the language of the Constitution, the high court’s own rulings, legislation passed by Congress, and the consistent practice of previous Presidents.

— Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026

Definition of contravenes

Verb

His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people.

— Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 8 July 2026
Nothing beats cuteness except watching violence be enacted upon the cuteness; like an aural Happy Tree Friends, Skulls tosses pom-poms of fuzz into the sky then desecrates them.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025

Definition of desecrates

Verb

Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

— Christina Fan, CBS News, 7 June 2026
Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA.

— Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 3 May 2026

Definition of assaults

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violated

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“Violates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violates. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of violates

verb

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