1
as in destroys
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in injures
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaces
Verb
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Each participant had lost central vision in one eye due to dry AMD, which destroys light-sensitive macular cells over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025 -
An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If an animal injures a human or another animal, or has been declared dangerous elsewhere, it can be ordered removed from the city.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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Derek gravely injures his hand.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Brain scans revealed the severity of the bleeds and whether patients showed signs of cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that damages tiny blood vessels in the brain and is linked to aging, high blood pressure and dementia.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Long-term, alcohol damages the brain by shrinking white and gray matter, dulling rewards, and overactivating the stress system.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
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Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The movie cuts from the assassin pulling a machine gun from his bag to Joe hurling a pot of hot coffee at him, igniting a close-quarters battle that trashes the place.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Second, this ambiguity around responsibility cripples an organization’s ability to respond effectively.—
Nelson Lim,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
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Drones allow aggressors to target critical infrastructure that cripples a defender’s economy at low cost and with high accuracy.—
Omar Al-Ubaydli,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Richard tries to kill Carrie, Sigrid shoots him in the shoulder and Lo smashes him in the face with a piece of boating equipment.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
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As several women listen intently, Belushi, donning a toga, rips the guitar out of Bishop's hands and smashes it into a wall.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defaces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defaces. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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