befoul
verb (used with object)
to make dirty or filthy; soil; defile; sully.
befouling
-
present participleof befoul.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kingsolver explores how anyone might possibly find a safe place in this world that we keep befouling through ignorance, greed or incompetence.
From New York Times ● Oct. 19, 2018
Well, for Moore, it’s a blueprint: one rich guy’s knack for befouling the neighborhood foretells another’s ability to mess up the land of the free.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 21, 2018
"And then there comes a threat" — Big Coal, enabling modern contrivances while befouling nature — "to their way of life. And they will have to defend it."
From US News ● Jan. 22, 2016
Some of the dead animals appeared to have been moved into piles, including two carcasses befouling a creek supplying the 175-acre property with water, she said.
From Reuters ● Dec. 2, 2014
Despite his lead codpiece, the dust—undoubtedly—filtered in and at him, brought him daily, so long as he failed to emigrate, its little load of befouling filth.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
