as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the statue was seriously disfigured by falling rubble during the earthquake
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Recent Examples of disfigure
Ikram, now 26, survived the attack but was blinded in her right eye and permanently disfigured.
—
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Use a sharp pair of pruners and be careful not to disfigure the shrub or tree while harvesting branches.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Born from Raimi’s desire to make a movie about pulp hero the Shadow before he was denied the rights by Universal, Darkman is an original creation, starring Liam Neeson as a scientist who is disfigured in a mob attack and given superpowers thanks to an experimental treatment.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
This Upper Paleolithic burial even became famous, though puzzling to researchers, because the unusual skeletal remains were even disfigured.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disfigure
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Use a sharp pair of pruners and be careful not to disfigure the shrub or tree while harvesting branches.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Born from Raimi’s desire to make a movie about pulp hero the Shadow before he was denied the rights by Universal, Darkman is an original creation, starring Liam Neeson as a scientist who is disfigured in a mob attack and given superpowers thanks to an experimental treatment.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
This Upper Paleolithic burial even became famous, though puzzling to researchers, because the unusual skeletal remains were even disfigured.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disfigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disfigure
Verb
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Reaves injured his arm late in the fourth quarter after stripping the basketball away from Williamson.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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Over the course of just one minute, the gunman sailed down the city’s bustling Sixth Street and then exited his car, firing off even more bullets, ultimately killing three people and injuring 13 others before he was fatally shot by police.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bahrain and Qatar have effectively halted production of oil and LNG, keeping output at a trickle to avoid complete shutdowns that could damage reservoirs and delay restarts.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The issue, which can arise within minutes, is that no matter how careful, how neurotic, how cautious someone is, inevitably the shiny piano black plastic trim gets scratched, knicked, and or marred rapidly as a car is used.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
5 Mar. 2026
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The Democratic contest was marred by voting issues affecting the state’s second-largest county, which caused confusion around ballot eligibility.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Legalization advocates argued legalization would cripple illicit trade, yet opponents now point to its resilience as proof of policy failure.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2026
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The policies begin with attempts to stop the country from getting chemical or nuclear weapons, crippling its oil industry, and harming its general economy.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All your really doing is physically hurting your child–which might lead them to feel angry, afraid, or betrayed.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
3 Mar. 2026
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The company acknowledged backlash to its DEI decision had hurt sales and led to market share losses to competitors.—
Melissa Repko,
CNBC,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Although weakened, the factions still survive, and could form a powerful, transnational and motivated insurgency when the time comes to fight whatever emerges if the Islamic Republic falls.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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Several bills that had been filed in the state Senate and House of Representatives, which critics have warned would weaken reporting and training standards for the Department of Child and Family Services, have been put on hold, according to state officials.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These conditions, such as movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, often impair essential functions like movement, speech, and swallowing, leading to a profound loss of independence.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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These compounds may block iodine transport to the thyroid, impairing thyroid function.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disfigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disfigure. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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