as in damaged
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1
as in marred
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in injured
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
a scratch blemished the finish on the car
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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
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
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
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Multiple agencies from the region helped local first responders search and assess damaged areas, town officials said on social media.—
DAVE COLLINS,
Arkansas Online,
13 June 2026
-
Residents began sharing reports on neighborhood Facebook groups in recent days, with several posting photos of damaged tires and doorbell camera footage from around the area of 77th Street to 81st Street, between Brookside Street and Oak Street.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season has been marred by injuries, with veteran pitcher Max Scherzer facing significant setbacks.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
As Bloomberg recently reported, brides are buying $14 spells from witches on Etsy to ensure that their $100,000 weddings are not marred by blizzards or downpours.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The man does not appear to be injured.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
The shootings, which police suspect were committed by one man, left one person dead and four people injured.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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The foundation’s demise left a trail of broken trust throughout the region, particularly among survivors and families.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
Now, people have been crammed into around 40 percent of the space left to them — sheltering among broken buildings, rubble and mounting solid waste.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Some kits are less easy to adore, whether bad (always subjective), good but spoiled by a dubious sponsor, a combination of both or tainted by association.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
The left no longer believes that immigrants of diverse backgrounds should assimilate themselves into a national culture tainted by white supremacy, while the right views immigrants’ very presence in the country as a threat to that same national culture.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Candidates whose public image depends on favorable coverage can be crippled by bad headlines.—
Matthew Shelter,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
-
The protest largely crippled the country’s center, with highways closed and public transportation halted by the massive crowds in both Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metro area.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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In a lawsuit filed against ICE last year, another former detainee said he was served spoiled milk.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
-
In her third season in the WNBA, the once-shining superstar is acting like a spoiled brat.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
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In another video published by B’Tselem capturing the moments after the incident, Sam’s father can be seen standing by the car, cradling his baby, whose bright yellow clothing can be seen stained with blood.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
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Every blue jersey will be stained with blood by the end of the match.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blemished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemished. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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