1
as in to vandalize
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 to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deface
Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The pressure builds until Eddie has a meltdown in public, shaking and threatening the kids who defaced his car.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 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
See All Example Sentences for deface
Verb
In true Charlie Kirk fashion, a group of young people took matters into their own hands after a mural honoring the late conservative leader was defaced with vile messages.
—Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The pressure builds until Eddie has a meltdown in public, shaking and threatening the kids who defaced his car.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
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His research revealed that Americans were more likely to litter, vandalize or wear inappropriate clothing in Thailand than in France.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
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And the country music singer Blaze Foley, who died in 1989, had his Spotify page vandalized with AI songs.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Earlier, the agency said a man in his 70s was killed by a falling tree in the southern coastal town of Marigot, while five people were injured in the Artibonite region.—
Josh Cradduck,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Unless another boy was injured, a boy with a father who resembled me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
Verb
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The Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the largest ever built, was destroyed.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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Russian air defense systems destroyed one drone heading for Moscow, the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday, according to Reuters.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Cuomo has sought to cast Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblymember, as a naive candidate whose agenda would damage the city.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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The three suspects damaged property and smashed several iPads taken from a special education classroom, according to a Facebook post by the Chandler Police Department.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
26 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
Verb
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More recently, high-profile firms including Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Lockheed Martin and Meta Platforms have agreed to help finance the ballroom Trump plans for the White House after ordering the building’s East Wing to be demolished.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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To build the new housing, Arrow Street Development plans to demolish about a half-dozen buildings including multiple old single-family homes and commercial structures.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement While the commercial supply of goods has improved since the cease-fire deal, the flow of humanitarian aid continues to be marred by bureaucracy, delays, and blockages.—
Anna Halford,
Time,
25 Oct. 2025
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Martin starred as one of the NFL’s top running backs a decade ago, in a career that was also marred by injuries and off-field challenges.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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