blights 1 of 2

noun

plural of blight
as in defects
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside

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blights

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of blight
as in harms

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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 blights
Noun
The same biological world that gives rise to forests, coral reefs and human life also produces infections, cancer, genetic disease, crop blights and toxins. — Tara Deans, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 Concerns over blights and quality of life became political issues. — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026 Fungicides, for instance, are used to suppress disease-causing pathogens like blights and leaf spots, but might also impact beneficial microbes that live in flowers. — Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 28 Apr. 2026 Yearning to light some tech on fire is a relatable feeling these days, as generative artificial intelligence promises to supplant nearly every form of non-physical labor, social media wreaks havoc on the mental health of young people, and massive data centers loom as environmental blights. — Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2026 Even a simple soaker hose is better than a sprinkler system that wets the foliage, which can make plants prone to blights and mildews. — Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026 The more kinds of plants, the more defenses to fend off the blights and insect infestations that ran unobstructed through landowners’ large mono-crop fields. — Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blights
  1. defects
  2. harms
  3. scars
  4. impairs
  5. blotches
  6. injures
  7. marks
  8. damages
Noun
  • Since the core and cladding are made together, the method can achieve high fabrication yield while minimizing defects at the interface.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The original version was recalled in 2019 over battery defects.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of defects
Verb
  • Because the missions of people-helping organizations are so transformative for those who depend on them, all waste harms them.
    — Ryan Dewey Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Paul Schmidt, an attorney for Meta, said research does not support claims that social media harms adolescents' well-being and disputed claims of addiction.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of harms
Noun
  • Nineteen months after the Palisades Fire leveled much of the seaside community, scars of the blaze are increasingly overshadowed by signs of progress.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Sharing a body that has changed over the years — stretch marks, cellulite, Cesarean scars and more — with someone new requires a level of vulnerability that can be nerve wracking.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of scars
Verb
  • The delay, the filing notes, impairs Pewitt’s defense because the memories of witnesses fade and their availability is unknown, and the ability to find and re-examine physical evidence after 31 years is compromised.
    — Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Hwang suffered a traumatic brain injury from the attack, leading to ataxia, a neurological disorder that impairs movement and muscle control, and occasional seizures.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Definition of impairs
Noun
  • Crews are also using steam to remove blotches of chewing gum, which have turned black over time.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The next morning, a galaxy of itchy red bumps and blotches stretched from my shoulder to my hip.
    — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of blotches
Verb
  • The heist goes wrong when one sister injures her back and ends up trapped on the second floor, setting off an increasingly frantic bid to get out before the homeowner comes home.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Early on in the clip, Jake Johnson’s former tennis star Dusty Boyd trips over the net and injures his wrist in a bad way.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 June 2026
Definition of injures
Noun
  • The sudden push toward scale marks a shift for a technology that spent years looking more like a Silicon Valley experiment than a serious alternative to putting a package in a car.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
  • There, a terrified teenage girl would be filmed fleeing before she was consumed by a blinding flash of light and then found dead, bearing unexplained marks on her body.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of marks
Verb
  • Nuisance, negligence and harm to residents The largest set of claims in the lawsuit has to do with arguing that the data center damages residents’ health, futures and quality of life in the areas closest to the 400-acre hyperscale AI factory.
    — Ilana Arougheti Updated August 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which consuming gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye — triggers an immune response that damages the small intestine.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of damages

Browse Nearby Words

blighting
blights
Blighty
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Cite this Entry

“Blights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blights. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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