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
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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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Historic Palmetto cemetery vandalized, deputies say Old Memphis Cemetery is tied to Palmetto’s historic Memphis neighborhood, which was originally plotted in 1904, according to a state historical marker at the site.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
The area’s security cameras, recently vandalized, were offline.—
Dan Barry,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The impact ignited an engine fire, injuring a dozen passengers.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Even if Calafiori was not injured, Mosquera’s introduction and Rice’s return to midfield were necessary to start the second half.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
13 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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There, on the Hudson River waterfront, David Wojnarowicz wrote poems and painted murals alongside Luis Frangella and Mike Bidlo, while Peter Hujar and Dirk Rowntree photographed scenes of impromptu happenings and performances, before the site was demolished in 1984.—
Natalia Torija,
Curbed,
14 May 2026
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Playing in Cincinnati, just about 100 miles away from his hometown of Louisville, Daylen Lile demolished a home run in the 10th inning on Wednesday to help the Washington Nationals earn an 8-7 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The grand occasion was almost marred by an accident, the Tribune reported.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Though that 2017 championship is marred by one of the most egregious cheating scandals in baseball history.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 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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But his personal and party polls are dismal, crippled by what critics and analysts say has been a series of unforced errors.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
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Just a few successful strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure for years if not decades, throwing the world, and the United States, into a prolonged economic crisis.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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