as in damaged
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in marred
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 injured
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
a scratch blemished the finish on the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of blemished
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Stripped of modern tools, MASK is messy, blemished, unfinished—and all the sweeter for it.
—
Arielle Gordon,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Think bruised nectarines, tomatoes that split in transit and blemished apples that are more suited to baking and preserving.
—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Scarred and blemished grapefruits and blood oranges are falling off his trees, Schmidt told KSEE.
—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Its blemished surface hints at its violent origin deep within the Earth's mantle.
—
Arkansas State Parks,
Arkansas Online,
19 Aug. 2025
That’s because pantries like Friendly Hands often receive offers from truck drivers to unload pallets of food, like blemished fruit rejected from grocery stores, but without a loading dock, pantries sometimes have to refuse or are unable to store the items.
—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
6 Aug. 2025
Until the world contains only liberal democracies, Washington can hardly avoid seeking blemished friends.
—
Hal Brands,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Feb. 2024
Throop returned to his hometown in 1990 to take stock of its blemished environment.
—
Steve Marble,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Dec. 2022
Linda Robertson
june 23,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Marius Borg Hoiby, the stepson of Norway's crown prince, has been sentenced after being convicted of rape and domestic violence, in a case that has blemished his family's image.
—
Gwladys Fouche,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Shawnee’s local government, including the City Council, has been blemished by controversy for more than a decade.
—
Pj Green
october 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Oct. 2025
Reputational damage occurs when a business’s name is blemished in some manner.
—
Emily Reynolds,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Should fungal leaf spots become a major problem — and cause lots of leaves to become blemished, turn yellow and drop prematurely — a control would be needed.
—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Stripped of modern tools, MASK is messy, blemished, unfinished—and all the sweeter for it.
—
Arielle Gordon,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
Think bruised nectarines, tomatoes that split in transit and blemished apples that are more suited to baking and preserving.
—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Scarred and blemished grapefruits and blood oranges are falling off his trees, Schmidt told KSEE.
—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Its blemished surface hints at its violent origin deep within the Earth's mantle.
—
Arkansas State Parks,
Arkansas Online,
19 Aug. 2025
That’s because pantries like Friendly Hands often receive offers from truck drivers to unload pallets of food, like blemished fruit rejected from grocery stores, but without a loading dock, pantries sometimes have to refuse or are unable to store the items.
—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
6 Aug. 2025
Until the world contains only liberal democracies, Washington can hardly avoid seeking blemished friends.
—
Hal Brands,
Foreign Affairs,
20 Feb. 2024
Throop returned to his hometown in 1990 to take stock of its blemished environment.
—
Steve Marble,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Dec. 2022
Verb
De Borbon, running for a ninth term as president, was swept out of office following a contentious campaign blemished by allegations of voter fraud in previous elections.
—
Linda Robertson
june 23,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Marius Borg Hoiby, the stepson of Norway's crown prince, has been sentenced after being convicted of rape and domestic violence, in a case that has blemished his family's image.
—
Gwladys Fouche,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Shawnee’s local government, including the City Council, has been blemished by controversy for more than a decade.
—
Pj Green
october 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Oct. 2025
Reputational damage occurs when a business’s name is blemished in some manner.
—
Emily Reynolds,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blemished
Adjective
-
Cells called osteoclasts remove old or damaged bone, while osteoblasts build new bone in its place.
-
For the best results, use its gummies to help stall the process from within; apply its serum daily to repair damaged follicles; and schedule professional sessions for its Xvie XO Concentrate, a peptide- and exosome-rich treatment designed to reactivate dormant follicles.
Verb
-
Starmer is leaving after two years in office marred by missteps and judgment errors that eroded his standing with his party and the public.
-
What immediately followed that bright June day were dark months marred by the state’s largest criminal investigation in history coming up empty, police questioning second graders for new leads and mounting legal battles among the Horman family grappling with utter devastation.
Verb
-
Blyth injured her back in a toboggan accident and spent over a year recovering, limiting her ability to profit off her success in the film.
-
The officer returned fire; neither the suspect nor the officer was injured.
Adjective
-
Canada’s first-ever World Cup win was overshadowed yesterday when midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg after a tackle that left teammates shaken and coach Jesse Marsch lamenting an injury that turned a night of celebration into one of anguish.
-
But the win was a costly one since Canada, which entered the tournament missing three starters to injury, lost another early in the second half when midfielder Ismael Kone was carted off on a stretcher with an apparent broken leg after Qatar’s Assim Madibo clipped him from behind.
Verb
-
Troupis and Roman both filed motions seeking to relocate the trial from Dane County, which includes Madison, to neighboring Jefferson County, saying negative publicity had tainted the potential jury pool.
-
Troupis and Roman both filed motions seeking to relocate the trial from Dane County, which includes Madison, to neighboring Jefferson County, saying negative publicity had tainted the potential jury pool.
Verb
-
This comes at a dire time for Venezuela, which is still deep in political and financial crisis – being led by an interim government after US forces captured President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, and facing an economy crippled by years of hyperinflation.
-
Aegon, who was burned and crippled in Season 2, fled with Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), leaving his cruel, one-eyed brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) to sit on the Iron Throne.
Adjective
-
Moore cautioned people with lung issues or smoke sensitivity to avoid outdoor activities, but said crews have mitigated the hazardous-materials portion of the blaze and are now focused on the biohazard portion posed by spoiled food.
-
However, officials remain concerned about biohazards potentially posed by spoiled food, including bread, poultry, pork and beef.
Verb
-
Opt for a material that’s white washed or stained for a farmhouse look.
-
Crime scene technicians called in to help execute a search warrant reported observing blood spattered all over Mao’s bedroom, and a machete and two dumbbells stained with blood.
Cite this Entry
“Blemished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemished. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
