Definition of BLEMISH

Examples of blemish in a Sentence

Verb

A series of burn marks blemish the table's surface. The incident blemished his reputation.

Noun

The cream is supposed to prevent blemishes on the skin. The table had a few scratches and minor blemishes. The book fails to mention any of the organization's many blemishes. The incident was a blemish on his record.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Super Tucano has a safety record previously blemished by only two crashes since entering operation in 2003. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "Air Force “light attack” test aircraft crashes on bomb range, killing pilot," 26 June 2018 This solace can come from someone else's unfiltered photo evidencing their blemished skin in its natural state, or from posting their own pictures and receiving uplifting messages of support and solidarity in the comments section. — Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, "What the Skin-Acceptance Movement Means for People With Conditions Like Mine," 29 June 2018 Reds starter Sal Romano countered with eight innings, his evening blemished only by Hunter Dozier’s 425-foot solo home run in the fifth inning. — Sam Mcdowell, kansascity, "Royals waste Ian Kennedy's best outing of 2018 in loss to Reds," 12 June 2018 Don Christensen, a former Air Force chief prosecutor, told The Washington Post that even with no official punishment, the episode will likely permanently blemish their career. — Alex Horton, Washington Post, "The Pentagon answered some questions about the Niger ambush. Many more remain.," 11 May 2018 The 27-year-old nonprofit teams up with farms to collect blemished or oddly sized produce that can not be sold — and distributes the food to local communities. — Lauren Delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Stamp Out Hunger during national food drive May 12," 8 May 2018 Only a trip to Kansas City and Baltimore blemish a run from the first week of October through Dec. 9 where the Bengals sleep in their own beds every night. — Paul Dehner Jr., Cincinnati.com, "The best and worst of the 2018 Cincinnati Bengals regular season schedule," 19 Apr. 2018 The son of a Baptist preacher who grew up in the segregated South, Drayton said the discrimination complaint lodged against him at Rowan should not blemish his contributions to civil rights. — Melanie Burney, Philly.com, "Rowan College at Burlington County President Paul Drayton stepping down, cites medical reasons," 7 Apr. 2018 But a new project is working to rid the West Bank site of the explosive devices, clearing away the relics of war that have blemished the sacred place for nearly five decades. — Washington Post, "Area around Jesus’ baptism site being cleared of land mines," 29 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The only blemish for Kim all week at Thornberry Creek at Oneida was a double bogey in the second round Friday. — Bill Huber, chicagotribune.com, "Sei Young Kim shatters LPGA scoring records, wins by 9 shots," 8 July 2018 The one blemish, merely skin deep in this case, was that the unemployment rate rose to 4% from 3.8%. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, "For Investors, an Ideal Jobs Report," 6 July 2018 Gilbert did, and the Cavs won a title, helping James erase the one conceivable blemish on his personal playing legacy, now made up of four MVP awards and three championship rings. — Dylan Scott, Vox, "LeBron James and the NBA teach us a lot about labor in America," 6 July 2018 The Japanese-American internment is a blemish on the nation’s conscience—and one with dire resonance to current events. — Laura Bradley, HWD, "The Terror Season 2 Could Be One of 2019’s Most Important Shows," 22 June 2018 The South Korean, who shot a major record 61 at the 2014 Evian Championship, steadily chipped away at Jutanugarn's lead, ending the round as the only player with a blemish-free scorecard. — Henry Young, CNN, "Ariya Jatanugarn wins US Women's Open despite seven-shot collapse," 4 June 2018 This one covers redness and blemishes, and leaves a long-lasting matte finish. — Marie Claire, "Prix d’Excellence de la Beauté 2018," 24 Apr. 2018 The move shows how brands can continue to sell women products without encouraging an unattainable standard of perfect, blemish-free skin. — Leah Prinzivalli, Glamour, "The 'Acne Positivity' Movement Is Taking Back the Shame From Breakouts," 28 Mar. 2018 Try a medium-coverage formula like COVERGIRL Ready, Set Gorgeous Liquid Makeup Foundation that covers up blemishes, dark circles, and uneven spots. — Rebecca Dolgin, Seventeen, "5 Super Easy Tricks to Slash 35 Minutes Off Your Morning Makeup Routine," 17 Aug. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blemish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for blemish

Verb

Middle English blemisshen, to damage, injure, sully, from Anglo-French blemiss-, stem of blemir, blesmir, from Old French, literally, to make pale by wounding, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German blasros horse with a blaze, Old Norse blesi blaze — more at blaze

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