as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the defacement of the school's property ended up costing hundreds of dollars
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Recent Examples of defacement
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
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
vandalism
Noun
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The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has also called for parks to be closed, citing past problems during government shutdowns that led to vandalism, sanitation issues and ecological harm.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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Firefighters initially took a defensive stance, fighting the blaze from the outside the building to stop its spread, before knocking down the flames enough for crews to enter the business, which had its windows boarded up because of vandalism earlier in the week.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defacement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defacement. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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