as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the first mirror had a blemish on its surface, so we took it back to the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to mar
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
a scratch blemished the finish on the car
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blemish
Lauren David, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
There were great months by other pitchers, but all of them had at least one blemish.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Emily Reynolds, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Amorim cupped his hand round the back of Casemiro’s neck as the midfielder’s eyes focused down on the turf, a man possibly contemplating how his perfect record in five Champions League finals had become blemished with a loss in the equivalent in Europe’s second-tier competition.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for blemish
Noun
Sometimes a tomato just has a yellow or white blemish.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
There were great months by other pitchers, but all of them had at least one blemish.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Verb
Reputational damage occurs when a business’s name is blemished in some manner.
—Emily Reynolds, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Amorim cupped his hand round the back of Casemiro’s neck as the midfielder’s eyes focused down on the turf, a man possibly contemplating how his perfect record in five Champions League finals had become blemished with a loss in the equivalent in Europe’s second-tier competition.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for blemish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blemish
Noun
-
Epitaxial growth of SiC on wafers requires temperatures above 2732°F and precise precursor chemistry; even small process deviations can generate micropipe defects that render devices inoperable.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
-
The safety regulator has flagged a defect that could trigger the unintentional deployment of airbags.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
Verb
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But six years after NASA certified SpaceX to ferry crews to and from the ISS, Boeing’s Starliner still lacks approval for regular crew rotation flights after a 2024 test flight was marred by technical issues.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Firefighters had to cut open the metal drop box to extinguish the fire, and numerous ballots inside were damaged, some charred beyond recognition.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Scientists theorize that exposing flowering tomato plants to temperatures below 50°F damages the flowers.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The sides may be mottled with brown blotches.—
Ken Perrotte,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
-
Their bodies vary in color from light to dark gray, have rows of black or charcoal blotches running along them and have a reddish-brown stripe running down the middle of their backs.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Does the fact that Burden is still pretty wealthy really taint this tale of heartbreak?—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Otherwise, journalism may be perceived as misleading the audience, prompting people to turn to other sources of information that may be tainted by self-interest rather than public interest.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Additionally, a jury found Pasqual guilty of first-degree residential burglary and multiple counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiance's, boyfriend, girlfriend or child's parent.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
Overnight into Tuesday, waves of drones and missiles struck the capital, killing and injuring civilians and damaging homes, businesses and public buildings.—
Polina Lytvynova,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
After earning those battle scars, fittingly, 2026 was when everything would come together.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
1 June 2026
-
And Buffet’s got the scars to prove it.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Verb
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But staining showed no RNA or DNA molecules, indicating that the cells were definitely dead.—
Siddhant Pusdekar,
Quanta Magazine,
1 June 2026
-
The Bruins’ bat boy’s tears stained the front of Cholowsky’s jersey as his sobs grew heavier by the second.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blemish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemish. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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