violate
verb (used with object)
to act against (a law, principle, promise, agreement, instruction, etc.); break, transgress, or fail to honor.
was violating
-
past progressiveof violate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The FDA told the farm to destroy any cheese made with contaminated milk, arguing that it was violating the law, according to court documents.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
So the only reasonable charge was violating the city ordinance against disturbing “the peace of others by violent, offensive or boisterous conduct or language,” but that was tacked on later, in February.
From Slate ● May 4, 2026
The Touska was sailing to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas when it was warned repeatedly over a six hours by the USS Spruance, a guided-missile destroyer, that it was violating the blockade, U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
The probe into X began in December 2023, and the EU told the platform it was violating the bloc's rules in July 2024.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2025
The courtroom was crowded, largely with antiwar protestors who hissed as the government lawyers argued that the Times was violating the Espionage Act.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
