as in smears
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler delightedly bedaubed herself with her mother's makeup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedaubs
Verb
-
This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026 -
The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Add the mixture to the remaining milk in the pan and cook until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.—
Mary Ann Esposito,
Boston Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Add Parmesan, remaining 1 tablespoon butter and a squeeze of lemon juice; stir, adding more pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, if needed, until sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The study’s findings are in line with existing research that paints a grim picture of the statewide housing crisis, said Carolina Reid, an associate professor of city and regional planning at UC Berkeley.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The official police and legal record, on the other hand, paints a much more damning picture of Bolsonaro’s participation in a coup plot.—
Anthony W. Pereira,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Bedaubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedaubs. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
