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Definition of smear
1a : a viscous or sticky substanceb : a spot made by or as if by an unctuous or adhesive substance
2 : material smeared on a surface (as of a microscopic slide); also : a preparation made by smearing material on a surface a vaginal smear
3 : a usually unsubstantiated charge or accusation against a person or organization —often used attributively a smear campaign a smear job
Explore Merriam-Webster
Examples of smear in a Sentence
The blood smear revealed malaria.
Recent Examples of smear from the Web
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A simple smear of mustard may do for purists, but there is so much potential to explore between the halves of that white squishy bun.
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A report on internal investigation at the state Department of Education says five education officials were involved in a smear campaign against Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Craig Pouncey, Alabama Political Reporter has reported.
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Layers of graffiti and fingerprint smears of a mystery substance covered the walls.
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In Peerenboom's lawsuit, filed in 2013, Perlmutter and his wife Laura are blamed for a nasty smear campaign.
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Reason for detention: The two American journalists were charged with entering North Korea illegally to conduct a smear campaign.
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Schumer may be endeavoring here to draw attention to the smear campaign so that Republicans in Congress and at the White House feel pressure to affirm Mueller’s independence.
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The 35-year-old women’s rights activist quickly disowned the images, calling it a smear campaign.
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Under the supervision of physicians and dentists, students assisted with everything from tooth extractions to pap smears, dispensed medicine, and educated young and old on nutrition and dental hygiene.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smear'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of smear
Middle English smere, from Old English smeoru; akin to Old High German smero grease and probably to Old Irish smiur marrow
smear
Definition of smear
transitive verb
1a : to overspread with something unctuous, viscous, or adhesive : daub smeared the paper with glueb : to spread over a surface
2a : to stain, smudge, or dirty by or as if by smearingb : sully, besmirch; specifically : to vilify especially by secretly and maliciously spreading grave charges and imputations
3 : to obliterate, obscure, blur, blend, wipe out, or defeat by or as if by smearing
smearer
nounExamples of smear in a Sentence
The children smeared the window with fingerprints.
She smeared jam on her toast.
Butter was smeared all over the counter.
Her mascara smeared when she cried.
First Known Use of smear
before 12th century
SMEAR Defined for English Language Learners
smear
playDefinition of smear for English Language Learners
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: a dirty mark, spot, streak, etc., made by touching or rubbing something
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medical : a very small sample of something (such as skin or blood) that someone examines with a microscope
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: an untrue story about a person that is meant to hurt that person's reputation
smear
Definition of smear for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) dirty by rubbing it with something else
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: to spread (something) over a surface
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: to spread or drip in an untidy way
SMEAR Defined for Kids
Definition of smear for Students
smeared
;smearing
1 : to spread or soil with something oily or sticky So Bean carefully smeared white all over Ivy's face except her lips. — Annie Barrows, Ivy {ampersand} Bean
2 : to spread over a surface Her makeup smeared.
3 : to harm the reputation of (someone) with false statements
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of smear
: material spread on a surface (as of a microscopic slide); also : a preparation made by spreading material on a surface—see pap smear, vaginal smear
smear
Medical Definition of smear
: to prepare as a smear for microscopic examination : make a smear of
Learn More about smear
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See words that rhyme with smear Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for smear Spanish Central: Translation of smear Nglish: Translation of smear for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of smear for Arabic speakers
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