defaced 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in disfigured

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2
as in mutilated

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defaced

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deface
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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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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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 defaced
Verb
The building's pine ceilings were in disrepair and its brick walls were damaged, poorly painted, or defaced with graffiti. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026 Continue reading … HOLY GROUND ATTACK — World-famous Catholic shrine defaced and set on fire. — FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 No patriots so defaced America as those who, in the name of Americanism, launched a witch hunt that became a byword around the world. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 That was the last time the sign was defaced. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 12 June 2026 The cemetery, created in 1859, was abandoned and defaced before becoming the property of the county in 1967. — Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 4 June 2026 At least three campaign signs for Sacramento City Council candidate Jenn Chawla were defaced with racist slurs over the weekend. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026 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 But then on Christmas Day of that year, Roonstrasse was defaced with antisemitic graffiti. — Daniela R. P. Weiner, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaced
  1. disfigured
  2. mutilated
  3. vandalized
  4. damaged
  5. distorted
  6. mangled
  7. destroyed
  8. marred
Adjective
  • Those who survived the disease were often left disfigured and scarred.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • In a particularly gnarly flashback, one sibling voluntarily — and crudely — amputates his fingers to match his brother's disfigured hand, which lost two digits when Angier shot him.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of disfigured
Adjective
  • The mutilated body of Mary Ann Nichols was found in London’s East End slums.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • According to the Times coverage of the incident and subsequent lawsuit, the scenes shown in the classroom included autopsies, decaying cadavers and live animals being butchered, mutilated and tortured.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of mutilated
Verb
  • At issue is Hamilton Street, a block-long stretch of broken sidewalks, vacant and vandalized buildings, overgrown lots and what appear to be abandoned cars.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The next day, Webster reported that his property was vandalized.
    — Aubrey Wright, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of vandalized
Verb
  • Merz and Zelenskyy visited a building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv that was damaged in a Russian attack that killed two people on Monday, as air raid sirens sounded across the capital.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Strikes on Kyiv’s bridges continue Russian attacks damaged Kyiv’s Northern Bridge over the Dnieper River again on Sunday.
    — Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of damaged
Adjective
  • Lula’s coalition filed a legal complaint requesting that the avatar’s profiles be taken down, on the grounds that the anonymous accounts peddled false or distorted information that could mislead voters.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The shoegaze sound keeps evolving, as young artists keep hearing themselves in those mega-distorted waves of guitar fuzz.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of distorted
Adjective
  • This fencing appeared to have been lifted up and twisted, landing in a mangled and haphazard manner.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 29 July 2026
  • Chopper 4 was on the scene where a white car was flipped over and completely mangled.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 26 May 2026
Definition of mangled
Verb
  • Climate change was considered a factor in the December 2021 wildfire that destroyed Somauroo's home, after the county's suit was originally filed.
    — LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Climate change was considered a factor in the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed Somauroo’s home, after the county's suit was originally filed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • The findings paint a picture of a response marred by poor preparation, communication issues and disorganized leadership that struggled to coordinate between jurisdictions.
    — Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But his legacy was also marred by the discovery of his elaborate shielding of his wealth from taxes through shell companies, which experts say may have hurt the growth of his nation.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of marred

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Cite this Entry

“Defaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defaced. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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