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
  • Student activists vandalized the office of senior administrators over the school’s handling of rape allegations.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Flock Safety’s license plate scanners are being vandalized and cities have ended contracts with the company over community outcry.
    — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of vandalized
Verb
  • Two lids of the cold-holding unit are not attached and are damaged.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In Hunters, Georgia, multiple homes may have been damaged by a tornado reported by a 911 call center, the center said.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of damaged
Adjective
  • Haloed in distorted guitar and jagged synths, Wolf comes off as a champion of her own avoidance, her heroism charmingly pathetic.
    — Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Sometimes Paula chooses to turn the camera on herself, but the film is mostly composed of distorted moving images of contemporary Paris which, in many aspects, still looks like the version of Paris that Choi saw.
    — Thomas Patier, Artforum, 9 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
  • The hurricane sent chairs flying and destroyed the restaurant’s canopy.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • And the recording that exposed their machinations ultimately destroyed the type of ethnic politicking that made the careers of too many self-serving power grabbers, including this quartet.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • The tight finish came after a first half with see-saw action — mainly by Stewart — but was marred by whistles and questionable foul calls.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The second-year forward is trying to take advantage of his first true NBA preseason after knee injuries marred his rookie season.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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