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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blight
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
The school’s scientists are developing blight-resistant potatoes and testing ways to make jet fuel out of the wood in Maine’s forests.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 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
But the newer model, exemplified by Montgomery County, aims to eradicate that image of blight.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
The school’s scientists are developing blight-resistant potatoes and testing ways to make jet fuel out of the wood in Maine’s forests.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 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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Demi, who was born and raised in South Africa, had a half-sister, Franje Peters, with a congenital brain defect.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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When the wafer is rinsed, these clumps redeposit onto the surface, causing the defects.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Just under two million Palestinians—virtually the entire population of Gaza—have been displaced since October 2023, many repeatedly, and Israeli forces have damaged or destroyed more than 90 percent of homes in the Strip.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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This protection also works to protect plants that are marginally hardy in your area, such as hydrangeas blooming on old wood that may not bloom if their flower buds are damaged by cold.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Photos show the Maratus australis spider, which has an intricate pattern of blue and brown blotches edged with bright teal and red-orange stripes.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 Nov. 2025
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The one blemish — or ugly blotch — was that crushing 7-2 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain last week.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s why his mistress threw in with Frank to intimidate Dale into a land deal that would have ruined any chance of Chutto’s family ever getting their land back.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Because when those premiums go up by 100, 200%, people’s lives are ruined.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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She's had virtually no pain, only a little bit of swelling and no noticeable scars (the incisions were made in her hairline).—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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Hilaria Baldwin only lasted four episodes on Dancing With the Stars, but her scars will take time to fade.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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No human journalist was harmed in this experiment.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
They are hurt and they are harmed by the article, and also they are disgusted by some of the things that were said in the article.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, the 40-year-old 11-time world major marathon winner and two-time Olympic gold medalist, was with the lead pack coming off the Queensboro bridge at around the 17-mile mark before falling off slightly.—
Bette Canter,
Sportico.com,
2 Nov. 2025
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The 52 catches are the most ever by a UM true freshman — surpassing Ahmmon Richards’ mark of 49 set in the 2016 season — and are seven shy of tying Eddie Brown’s mark of 59 in the 1984 season for 10th all-time in Hurricanes history.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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Why experts say the million-dollar system is flawed Evolv Technologies was also under scrutiny recently.—
Rachel Wegner,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blight. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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