as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the Johnsons complained to the movers about broken dishes and mars on the furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
mar a politician's reputation with scurrilous rumors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the once glossy surface is now marred by numerous small pits and abrasions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mar
Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Now in his ninth season, Shanahan’s roster is more decimated than it’s ever been by the midway point, and that includes the 2020 campaign that also was marred by the COVID pandemic.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.
—Anna Halford, Time, 25 Oct. 2025
But the victory was marred by the second-half exit of starting quarterback Bryce Young, who left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
—Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mar
Verb
Her return to her husband and daughter from a stint on the international space station was marred when space debris crashed into Sam’s capsule before landing, breaking her helmet.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Now in his ninth season, Shanahan’s roster is more decimated than it’s ever been by the midway point, and that includes the 2020 campaign that also was marred by the COVID pandemic.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.
—Anna Halford, Time, 25 Oct. 2025
But the victory was marred by the second-half exit of starting quarterback Bryce Young, who left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
—Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mar
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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Bonds and Clemens would be shoo-ins for the Hall had their careers in MLB not been tainted by the accusations.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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In the letter, Radcliffe spoke out against Rowling’s comments and apologized to any Harry Potter fans who have since felt the novel and magical universe has been tainted by the author’s transphobic statements.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The next day, however, a football-style tussle left him injured.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The 2023 edition opened a month later as Israel intensified its bombing campaign on Gaza, which has since killed more than 67,000 people, injured another 170,000 and razed the Palestinian territory to the ground, prompting accusations of genocide, which Israel has strongly rejected.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The lightweight formula delivers hydration to your complexion, which is necessary for minimizing the appearance of scars and marks.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
29 Oct. 2025
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Burn scars on old trees and historical records from early European settlers speak to Indiana forests where regular burning took place.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Toronto Blue Jays nearly ended their 32-year World Series drought, but the Los Angeles Dodgers spoiled their hopes in Game 7.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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Mizzou had a chance to spoil the fun and put the national spotlight on Columbia.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just under two million Palestinians—virtually the entire population of Gaza—have been displaced since October 2023, many repeatedly, and Israeli forces have damaged or destroyed more than 90 percent of homes in the Strip.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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This protection also works to protect plants that are marginally hardy in your area, such as hydrangeas blooming on old wood that may not bloom if their flower buds are damaged by cold.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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When the disease has progressed to the geographic atrophy stage, the cells deteriorate and die, and people lose their central vision — meaning an object straight ahead may appear blurry or covered up with a dark blotch.—
David Cox,
NBC news,
20 Oct. 2025
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Dark brown blotches of varying sizes dot their sides and back.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Drone footage shows eight officers approach a motionless Green who appeared slumped over with a large pool of blood staining the driveway.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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Foods like coffee, red wine, fruit and vegetable juices, grease and oils, tea, tomato sauce, and spices like turmeric and curry can stain, as well as ink, markers, and some cleaning chemicals.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mar. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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