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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 16 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
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
See All Example Sentences for deface
Verb
Another admonishes participants not to urinate in the street, start fights, block streets, climb on cars or deface property — all things that have been problems some years.
—Larry Neumeister, Los Angeles Times, 16 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
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
-
In September a right-wing demonstration erupted into violence during which rioters vandalized the office, just weeks ahead of the general election.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Dunbar said several people have provided tips about the latest case and that some have speculated someone is vandalizing the tree to try to get a better ocean view.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Police said the driver of the SUV was not injured and is cooperating with investigators.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Joshua Jahn, 29, killed a detainee, injured two others and fatally shot himself.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During another act of vandalism, the suspects hurled an egg at a home, officials said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
-
Of those, 29 were acts of vandalism, surpassing the previous state record of 25 and marking the highest number of antisemitic property crimes ever documented in Georgia.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Onions can be used as a companion plant to carrots to keep away the destructive carrot fly, a pest that can stunt the growth of carrots and even destroy entire plantings.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2026
-
If an Entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or destroyed, entrant’s sole remedy shall be another entry into the Sweepstakes.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
In a sane world, Congress would put a stop to it and reassert its own power to regulate import duties; unfortunately, this particular GOP Congress seems content enough to be a lapdog watching Trump usurp them and damage the economy and our international standing.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
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Conducting a soil test will eliminate the guesswork when choosing the right type and amount of fertilizer for your trees, as using too much fertilizer or the incorrect type can severely damage them.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Riverside has both a community center named for Chavez and a bronze statue — often the target of vandalization — on the Main Street pedestrian mall in the city’s downtown.—
Ryan Carter,
Daily News,
19 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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The house was set to be demolished after Sprague died, but instead it was purchased and partially restored by Roger and Mary Mildred DeWitt in the 1960s.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
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Many family members are opposed to demolishing and/or selling the property.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The entire proceedings have been marred by tragedy since the exhibition’s artistic director, Koyo Kouoh, died suddenly of liver cancer in early 2025, leaving her staff to complete the last year of work.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
5 May 2026
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The Australian Jewish Association welcomed the report’s release but said it was marred by failing to address the form of antisemitic extremism said to have motivated the Bondi Beach shooters.—
Philissa Cramer,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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