1
as in to vandalize
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
the principal vowed to get the punks who defaced the statue in front of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins
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 deface
Another admonishes participants not to urinate in the street, start fights, block streets, climb on cars or deface property — all things that have been problems some years.
—
Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
One very analog cost robotics companies are now dealing with as their products proliferate in the wild is repair fees for robots who have been kicked, ridden on, or otherwise defaced, Serve Robotics CEO Ali Kashani tells Semafor.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
But his image had been defaced with black permanent marker, giving him an impressive handlebar mustache and large glasses with what appears to be eyelashes growing out from them.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
An inflatable effigy depicting Trump defacing the Constitution made its way through the crowd.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deface
Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
One very analog cost robotics companies are now dealing with as their products proliferate in the wild is repair fees for robots who have been kicked, ridden on, or otherwise defaced, Serve Robotics CEO Ali Kashani tells Semafor.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
But his image had been defaced with black permanent marker, giving him an impressive handlebar mustache and large glasses with what appears to be eyelashes growing out from them.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
An inflatable effigy depicting Trump defacing the Constitution made its way through the crowd.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
-
Meanwhile, anyone who may have had their vehicle vandalized is urged to call Santa Rosa Police at 707-528-5222, referencing case number 26-4334.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Debel is the same village where an Israeli soldier was photographed vandalizing a statue of Jesus Christ earlier this month, causing international outrage.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Police said the driver of the SUV was not injured and is cooperating with investigators.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Joshua Jahn, 29, killed a detainee, injured two others and fatally shot himself.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces destroyed several military and other targets, while also inflicting significant damage on oil port infrastructure.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
They’re specifically designed for glass cooktop surfaces and have two sides—a gritty, sandpaper-like one on one side and a soft sponge on the other that gently scrub off stubborn messes and stuck-on bits without scratching or damaging the glass.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The Browns will pay for their current home to be demolished after the 2028 season, which will make way for lakefront development.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
-
Trump has overseen dramatic cosmetic changes on the White House grounds during his second term, including paving over the grassy line of the famous Rose Garden and demolishing the White House's East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
That project was marred by a labor investigation, which BYD and its contractors settled late last year.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
May Day rallies in Turkey are frequently marred by clashes with authorities.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Scrubbing can ruin the finish on fabric, especially upholstery.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
-
Safeguarding the location of the Bezos’ party could save the man Forbes calls the world’s fourth-richest person from having protesters ruin his evening.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That has crippled Iran’s two biggest non-oil exports, and higher prices have affected everything from plastics to pipes, to fabrics and packaging for groceries like milk, butter and cheese.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
