as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to damage
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blight
Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
That being said, this dirt lot has been a blight on the community since the Gates Factory closed in 1991.
—Luke Johnson, Denver Post, 20 Dec. 2025
Aaron Kessler, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025
During the pandemic, Republicans — and some moderate Democrats — parlayed concerns about visible property crime and blight in blue cities into winning electoral strategies, even as violent crime has dropped in recent decades.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blight
Noun
Maduro is an authoritarian and a blight to the Venezuelan people, certainly, but this administration is hardly one that finds all autocrats anathema.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
That being said, this dirt lot has been a blight on the community since the Gates Factory closed in 1991.
—Luke Johnson, Denver Post, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
In Owsley County — one of the nation’s poorest, located in the rural Kentucky hills — residents struggle in an economy blighted by coal mine closures and declining tobacco crop revenues.
—Aaron Kessler, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2025
During the pandemic, Republicans — and some moderate Democrats — parlayed concerns about visible property crime and blight in blue cities into winning electoral strategies, even as violent crime has dropped in recent decades.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blight
Noun
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Intel said this allows advanced workloads such as real-time defect inspection, predictive maintenance, and intelligent monitoring to run directly at the edge, cutting reliance on the cloud.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
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Rubella, also called German measles, is mild in children but devastating to fetuses, causing deafness, heart defects and intellectual disabilities when pregnant women are infected.—
Jake Scott,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Stay away from windows as flying debris generated by damaging winds can be deadly.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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According to Brown, Hurricane Michael damaged 80 percent of the park’s namesake trees, but through a project with the Florida Park Service and Atlanta Botanical Garden, seeds obtained from living trees are being grown and planted in the ravine habitat at Torreya State Park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These blotches are fairly plant friendly and produce what is known as algal leaf spot.—
Brian Bell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Jan. 2026
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The simplest justification for museum construction is structural necessity: ceilings blotch, plumbing and heating go on the fritz.—
Jackson Arn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those years left scars that never fully healed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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The deep scars of prolonged conflict require time to heal, and enduring progress demands patience, tolerance, and genuine mutual understanding across all segments of Syrian society.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Look for urea-free fertilizer that helps the plant absorb nitrogen more efficiently, and make sure to flush out the potting medium with plain water each month to prevent salt buildup that can harm the roots.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
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The settlement is a landmark moment for Garcia, as well as other families who have claimed that their teens were harmed by what have been described as sexualized and interactive virtual companions.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The simplicity of the marks is echoed in the Godna collection, whose designs feature articulated ribs of high-polish 18-karat yellow gold lined with pavé diamonds and holding larger diamonds.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
9 Nov. 2025
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In what projects to be a low-scoring battle in the Meadowlands, Judkins will have plenty of opportunity to make his mark.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Kirby Smart’s team is good enough to run the table and flawed enough to lose any of its remaining games in conference play.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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Danish officials later admitted the process of evaluating Bronlund's case was flawed and overturned the ruling.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blight. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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