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
Rioting broke out in some cities as luxury boutiques and supermarkets were looted while public buildings were defaced and even set on fire. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaced
  1. disfigured
  2. mutilated
  3. vandalized
  4. damaged
  5. distorted
  6. mangled
  7. destroyed
  8. marred
Adjective
  • An adaptation of the comic book character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Clayface features Tom Rhys Harries as a man who begins to unravel after undergoing an experimental procedure to fix his disfigured face.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Those who survived the disease were often left disfigured and scarred.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of disfigured
Adjective
  • Pull some treats from the open coffin at Scotto Funeral Home, on the corner of Court Street and 2nd Place, then head to President near Hoyt to gawk at bloodstained windows and mutilated dolls.
    — Fiorella Valdesolo, Curbed, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Ken Russell’s The Devils originally came out in 1971 in a mutilated version, and nobody quite knew what to do with it at the time.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of mutilated
Verb
  • At least 91 people died and 7,500 Jewish businesses were vandalized.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • In a sign of protest, some people vandalized Cybertrucks at Tesla dealerships.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of vandalized
Verb
  • No one was injured in Sunday's strike on the village of Komyshuvakha, but specialized rescue equipment was damaged, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Remove dead or damaged branches anytime to keep shrubs healthy and shapely.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of damaged
Adjective
  • Cary said an image of a giraffe and distorted-looking lettering caught his attention, prompting him to take the packet from his child.
    — Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Its songs are littered with black holes, disasters, nuclear bombs; there are guttural screams and onslaughts of distorted guitar.
    — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 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
  • In Bulgaria, authorities found and destroyed a Russian Gerbera-2 drone, which was not carrying explosives, in the waters of the country’s northern Black Sea coast, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • He was born in 1941 in the village of al-Birwa, which was destroyed by Israeli forces in 1948.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • Similar allegations have marred prominent high school football programs in Southern California in recent years.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The unveiling event itself was marred when Musk tried to prove that its windows were shatterproof by having metal balls thrown at them - only to leave massive cracks in two of them.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 6 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2026.

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