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
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
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According to the Miami Beach Police Department, officers used city camera footage to help identify and track two men who were seen vandalizing the bench in Lummus Park.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
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In recent years, incidents of tourists behaving badly, including vandalizing temples and engaging in drunken bar fights, have gone viral on social media.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Police are investigating an east Fort Worth shooting that injured a man Sunday night.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
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Alcaraz injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open last month, forcing him out of the French Open that starts this weekend.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Covers personal property used to secure a loan as collateral if it's destroyed.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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While satellite launches mostly produce black carbon, which has a potential to warm the upper atmosphere, satellite re-entries generate aluminum oxides, which can damage the ozone layer.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
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Fallen debris also caused a house in the village of Subbotino to catch fire, while four people were injured when drones damaged several residential blocks in the western town of Istra, TASS reported.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The Home Insurance Building was demolished in 1931 to make way for the 42-story Field Building, which became the city’s next largest office building.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
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The superstar’s 2025 season was marred by multiple injuries.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Since 2015, it has been held in ten different cities, including Las Vegas, where a red carpet was constructed atop the Bellagio’s fountain pool, and Nashville, where rowdy attendees ruined bachelorette parties on Broadway.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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Many riads were in a state of disrepair, crammed with striking examples of traditional craftsmanship going to ruin.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Trump signed an executive order to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple the island.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
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But the sanctions haven't crippled Cuba's leadership, as some had hoped.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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