1
as in disfigured
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2
as in mutilated
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1
as in vandalized
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaged
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins
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Recent Examples of defaced
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
In true Charlie Kirk fashion, a group of young people took matters into their own hands after a mural honoring the late conservative leader was defaced with vile messages.
—Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The pressure builds until Eddie has a meltdown in public, shaking and threatening the kids who defaced his car.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Authorities found weapons defaced with slurs and anti-Israel graffiti.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Someone had defaced it overnight with paper cutouts and red paint.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
In June, a Pilsen mural depicting solidarity with Palestinians and immigrants was defaced.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The Boston Police Department is investigating vandalism that occurred at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End, where a statue of the Virgin Mary was defaced with graffiti.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Lincoln County Schools took a smiliar position back in 2021 when racial slurs defaced school property.
—Evan Moore
august 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
The protests stretched beyond India’s borders, too, with London’s Asia House controversially canceling an exhibition of Husain’s work in 2006, citing security concerns, after Hindu groups demanded its closure and vandals defaced two of his paintings.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
In true Charlie Kirk fashion, a group of young people took matters into their own hands after a mural honoring the late conservative leader was defaced with vile messages.
—Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The pressure builds until Eddie has a meltdown in public, shaking and threatening the kids who defaced his car.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Authorities found weapons defaced with slurs and anti-Israel graffiti.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Someone had defaced it overnight with paper cutouts and red paint.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
In June, a Pilsen mural depicting solidarity with Palestinians and immigrants was defaced.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The Boston Police Department is investigating vandalism that occurred at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End, where a statue of the Virgin Mary was defaced with graffiti.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2025
Lincoln County Schools took a smiliar position back in 2021 when racial slurs defaced school property.
—Evan Moore
august 13, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaced
Adjective
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The bodies had signs of binding the hands and feet, contortion of limbs, cut off fingertips and disfigured heads, according to Kaki.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Oct. 2025
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For his role as Erik, the disfigured organist who haunts the catacombs of the Paris opera house, Chaney underwent a dramatic — and painful — transformation that involved pulling back his nostrils with piano wire to create a skeletal look.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The man had also vandalized a Secret Service vehicle on his way up the home’s driveway, one of the officials said.—
Kathy McCormack,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
At least one of the new parking kiosks was vandalized shortly after being installed.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 13 apartments were damaged by fire, smoke or water.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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But overloading the dishwasher can result in dirty dishes that need to be put through a second cycle to get clean, and dishes that are crammed in may become damaged.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On the other hand, SPCfw is more flexible, allowing the water molecule to bend and stretch, especially when forming distorted hydrogen bonds, as seen in ice VI.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
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This is the first in a series of mysterious and increasingly frightening events that follow him through his childhood, all of it narrated in 'Penpal' by his adult self peering through a distorted lens of shaky, imperfect recall.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Palisades fire killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 structures, becoming the third-most destructive fire in state history.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Jan. 2026
-
One year after the Palisades Fire leveled entire neighborhoods and destroyed thousands of homes, one Malibu resident is stepping up to help rebuild his community with his architectural expertise.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This dynamic marred the 2012-13 Hurricane Sandy package and has recurred in other disaster bills, not because relief is illegitimate but because speed plus political cover invites provisions that would die in regular order.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
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Sook’s comments followed Nexstar’s report of quarterly results, which were marred by the absence of political advertising compared with the same quarter in 2024.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As a result, his vocals have a kind of stately yet starry-eyed quality, giving structure to these deformed, cosmic beats from the internet abyss.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
3 Sep. 2025
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Repairing a deformed representation of Black women is the focus of the 30th installment of the ongoing series, for which the brand tapped Alice Diop.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Jonas Brodin, playing with a mangled finger, scored on a squeaker and had an assist.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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The rescue team shared photos of the mangled vehicle and the driver walking up the steep ledge with assistance from a rescuer to return to the highway.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defaced. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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