as in defects
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stains
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 damages
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 blemishes
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Dunk’s blemishes against Liverpool were compounded by an unfortunate yellow card for time wasting in the closing stages when referee Darren England decided too long had been taken with Verbruggen over a goal kick.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Touching up selfies to fix blemishes and change your look has been an option for decades, but new tools within Google Photos may make those edits faster and easier to control on mobile.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Second stage problems are responsible for the only blemishes in SpaceX’s near-perfect reliability record with the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
Looks vibrant in color and has no large blemishes or scratches.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Dark or too strong nail polishes can sometimes highlight blemishes, veins, or expression lines.
—Andrea Carbajal, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026
Rocker still has considerable upside despite those blemishes, and with only 159 2/3 total professional innings under his belt, the 26-year-old is far from a finished product.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
On earlier test loops around Portugal, some tarmac blemishes were noted.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
Fans of the Bulls will undoubtedly recognize a climactic moment in Running Point season two, but another subplot involving Waves’ captain, Marcus Winfield, and rising star, Dyson Gibbs, was surprisingly not inspired by one of the few blemishes of the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Dunk’s blemishes against Liverpool were compounded by an unfortunate yellow card for time wasting in the closing stages when referee Darren England decided too long had been taken with Verbruggen over a goal kick.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Touching up selfies to fix blemishes and change your look has been an option for decades, but new tools within Google Photos may make those edits faster and easier to control on mobile.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Second stage problems are responsible for the only blemishes in SpaceX’s near-perfect reliability record with the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
Looks vibrant in color and has no large blemishes or scratches.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Dark or too strong nail polishes can sometimes highlight blemishes, veins, or expression lines.
—Andrea Carbajal, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026
Rocker still has considerable upside despite those blemishes, and with only 159 2/3 total professional innings under his belt, the 26-year-old is far from a finished product.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
On earlier test loops around Portugal, some tarmac blemishes were noted.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blemishes
Noun
-
While the Allen and Morens prosecutions move forward, the factual and legal defects in the SPLC and Comey indictments suggest that both defendants will likely succeed in any effort to get their cases tossed out of court.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
Seal of quality At 12 months, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium performs the traditional tapping test — striking each wheel with a hammer and listening for internal defects.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But over time, as the virus damages the heart, lungs or kidneys, patients can suffer severe shortness of breath, organ failure and even die.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
-
The same is true of excess water, which damages roots and causes plant stress.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The work also highlights how planetary scars preserve hidden records of ancient events.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
-
His ex-girlfriend, a makeup artist in the film industry, gave a testimony on the witness stand and showed her scars from the stabbing.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The sarcasm taints the question but doesn’t invalidate it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These grow to form blotches that have lighter and darker zones appearing as irregular concentric rings that grow throughout the season until the entire leaf turns black and dies.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Naturally, trouble spoils the crew’s relaxation in the form of an ocean princess named Yura (Allegra Clark; Saoiri Onishi) on the run from baddies Zodon (Christopher Corey Smith; Koichi Domoto) and Djeese (Yuri Lowenthal; Koji Yusa).—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
1 May 2026
-
Nestled in Sonoma County, 70 miles north of San Francisco, Healdsburg is an ideal destination for enjoying delicious food, wine country spoils and relaxation.—
Anna Katherine Clemmons,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blemishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemishes. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
