as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the defacement of the school's property ended up costing hundreds of dollars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 defacement
Palombo learned of the complete defacement through private messages on his social media channels.
—
Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
After a while, sticky notes appear, written by someone else who’s not exactly pleased about the doodler’s defacement of the only astronomy reference work in the school library.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
The tactics have transcended low-level website defacements and data theft too and now extend to more destructive attacks on systems such as energy grids, gas pipelines, and undersea cables.
—Brian Walsh, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Tuesday’s alert is the latest in what’s been a string of hateful defacements this summer.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
After a while, sticky notes appear, written by someone else who’s not exactly pleased about the doodler’s defacement of the only astronomy reference work in the school library.
—Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
The tactics have transcended low-level website defacements and data theft too and now extend to more destructive attacks on systems such as energy grids, gas pipelines, and undersea cables.
—Brian Walsh, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Tuesday’s alert is the latest in what’s been a string of hateful defacements this summer.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defacement
Noun
-
Graffiti and other forms of vandalism at national park sites are federal crimes that carry penalties of up to $5,000 in fines and six months in jail.—
Outside,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
-
According to the outlet, Sweeney could be at risk of being charged with criminal trespassing and/or vandalism.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Police said officers from the 116th Precinct had been alerted to the vandalization in the neighborhood and found 11 different police vehicles, both marked and unmarked, with damage.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defacement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defacement. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
