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
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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
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Recent Examples of deface
In Australia, synagogues were firebombed, cars torched and Jewish community buildings defaced – the types of attacks recently seen in the United Kingdom that have prompted calls for a crackdown on antisemitism.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
But then on Christmas Day of that year, Roonstrasse was defaced with antisemitic graffiti.
—Daniela R. P. Weiner, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for deface
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
But then on Christmas Day of that year, Roonstrasse was defaced with antisemitic graffiti.
—Daniela R. P. Weiner, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
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Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
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Ask the rabbi in San Diego whose synagogue has repeatedly been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.—
Jonathan Greenblatt,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Additionally, a jury found Pasqual guilty of first-degree residential burglary and multiple counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiance's, boyfriend, girlfriend or child's parent.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Overnight into Tuesday, waves of drones and missiles struck the capital, killing and injuring civilians and damaging homes, businesses and public buildings.—
Polina Lytvynova,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
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In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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The Russian president, who has never acknowledged that Ukraine is a legitimate country, or that Zelensky is its legitimate president, could continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, hoping to destroy the electrical grid and make the country unlivable.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The quake damaged buildings and infrastructure in the southern Philippines.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Earlier in the month, Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal at Kuwait’s main airport, killing one person and wounding dozens.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Two other properties were purchased in 2024, one of which was a barbershop that was demolished, and a third property was purchased in 2025.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
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Before filing plans to demolish the building within the next two weeks, Kennedy planned Thursday night’s event to honor the structure.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But six years after NASA certified SpaceX to ferry crews to and from the ISS, Boeing’s Starliner still lacks approval for regular crew rotation flights after a 2024 test flight was marred by technical issues.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
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In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Years earlier, in 2001, the undercover detective involved claimed her career had been ruined by the case, and received around $166,000 in an out-of-court settlement, per the BBC.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
7 June 2026
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Think about it the next time a presidential rant ruins your coffee.—
Steven Andreasen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The protest largely crippled the country’s center, with highways closed and public transportation halted by the massive crowds in both Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv metro area.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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Anxiety over ChatGPT and other emerging technology helped derail talks with both unions and the AMPTP in 2023, leading to crippling dual strikes.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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