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
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
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
This incident was the second time the controversial mural was defaced.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
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
This incident was the second time the controversial mural was defaced.
—Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaced
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
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
-
But the most difficult parts also offer ways forward — news that arrives via a skull, a mutilated body, evidence of closure in many respects of the word.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Oak Park officials issued a statement condemning antisemitism on Thursday after a home was vandalized with an antisemitic message.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
-
PennDOT message boards and cameras for the Parkway East are out of service after someone vandalized fiber optic cables.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
This accident in late May destroyed the rocket and severely damaged the New Glenn booster’s only launch pad.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
16 June 2026
-
That's the same day that the popular Evangeline's gift and costume store is scheduled to re-open after being damaged by a fire in June of last year.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even though Mercola has now reversed his position on vitamin K, many on social media still cling to debunked and distorted claims.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
12 June 2026
-
The strange fruits of Koosha’s process premiered Wednesday night at the Tribeca Festival in New York — a work that was just another indie film on one hand but also a glimpse at the distorted mirror of film’s future on the other.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sampaio rushed over to the mangled car and managed to free the unconscious man in the driver’s seat.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2026
-
An accompanying photograph dated May 30th shows a mangled, banana-less strip of duct tape stuck to a white wall.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The crash sparked a fire that destroyed the aircraft, which was operating as a skydiving flight, according to the NTSB.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
The fire burned more than 60 acres and destroyed several structures, including homes, according to CBS Los Angeles.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season has been marred by injuries, with veteran pitcher Max Scherzer facing significant setbacks.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
As Bloomberg recently reported, brides are buying $14 spells from witches on Etsy to ensure that their $100,000 weddings are not marred by blizzards or downpours.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defaced. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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