as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to damage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blight
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2025
Nearly a dozen cities in the Valley already were enacting tougher urban camping bans, as angry residents complained about blight and public safety in their neighborhoods.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Aaron Kessler, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025
During the pandemic, Republicans — and some moderate Democrats — parlayed concerns about visible property crime and blight in blue cities into winning electoral strategies, even as violent crime has dropped in recent decades.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blight
Noun
Growing hawthorns far away from apples and pears reduces blight issues.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2025
Nearly a dozen cities in the Valley already were enacting tougher urban camping bans, as angry residents complained about blight and public safety in their neighborhoods.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
In Owsley County — one of the nation’s poorest, located in the rural Kentucky hills — residents struggle in an economy blighted by coal mine closures and declining tobacco crop revenues.
—Aaron Kessler, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025
During the pandemic, Republicans — and some moderate Democrats — parlayed concerns about visible property crime and blight in blue cities into winning electoral strategies, even as violent crime has dropped in recent decades.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blight
Noun
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Demi, who was born and raised in South Africa, had a half-sister, Franje Peters, with a congenital brain defect.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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When the wafer is rinsed, these clumps redeposit onto the surface, causing the defects.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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According to Brown, Hurricane Michael damaged 80 percent of the park’s namesake trees, but through a project with the Florida Park Service and Atlanta Botanical Garden, seeds obtained from living trees are being grown and planted in the ravine habitat at Torreya State Park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Photos show the Maratus australis spider, which has an intricate pattern of blue and brown blotches edged with bright teal and red-orange stripes.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 Nov. 2025
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The one blemish — or ugly blotch — was that crushing 7-2 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain last week.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s why his mistress threw in with Frank to intimidate Dale into a land deal that would have ruined any chance of Chutto’s family ever getting their land back.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Because when those premiums go up by 100, 200%, people’s lives are ruined.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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She's had virtually no pain, only a little bit of swelling and no noticeable scars (the incisions were made in her hairline).—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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Hilaria Baldwin only lasted four episodes on Dancing With the Stars, but her scars will take time to fade.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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No human journalist was harmed in this experiment.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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They are hurt and they are harmed by the article, and also they are disgusted by some of the things that were said in the article.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The simplicity of the marks is echoed in the Godna collection, whose designs feature articulated ribs of high-polish 18-karat yellow gold lined with pavé diamonds and holding larger diamonds.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
9 Nov. 2025
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In what projects to be a low-scoring battle in the Meadowlands, Judkins will have plenty of opportunity to make his mark.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Kirby Smart’s team is good enough to run the table and flawed enough to lose any of its remaining games in conference play.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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Danish officials later admitted the process of evaluating Bronlund's case was flawed and overturned the ruling.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blight. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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