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
Noun
-
The alleged attacks have included blazes at a shopping mall in Poland and an Ikea store in Lithuania, cyberattacks on Czech railways, and the vandalism of Jewish buildings in France.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Local businessman George Green is credited with suggesting the idea of a giant celebration of treats and entertainment to curb vandalism in 1920.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Some city governments gave up on Columbus statues after multiple rounds of vandalization and decided to remove them, like in New Haven, Connecticut.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defacement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defacement. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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