as in damaging
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 disfiguring
Many patients who file lawsuits blame disfiguring injuries on what happened after their operations, such as office visits in which medical staff allegedly didn’t recognize, or dismissed, evidence of worsening surgical complications, court records show.
—
Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
His body had been subjected to disfiguring violence—not just beaten but run over repeatedly with his own car and partially burned—and many suspected a Mafia-style revenge killing.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
Outdoor turkey frying fires and in-door kitchen stove fires can send residents to the emergency room with disfiguring injuries that often require skin grafting, said Patrick Duffy, burn surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Nov. 2025
Though confused by their new reality in the spirit world, the teenagers willingly decide to carry on as they are accosted by a series of demons such as doctors disfiguring patients, human traffickers, and being plagued by war and terrorism.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Nov. 2025
In between detonating bombs hidden in Christmas presents and disfiguring the entire police force, Art sets his sights on the Shaw family.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Freud's pessimism is exacerbated not only by the imminent world war, but also by painful and disfiguring oral cancer.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
To prevent outbreaks of this debilitating, disfiguring and deadly disease, state and local governments implemented smallpox inoculation and vaccination campaigns into the early 1900s.
—Stacie Kershner, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
Killing or seriously disfiguring a neighbor's plants can be grounds for a court battle.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Fred Schulte, Miami Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
His body had been subjected to disfiguring violence—not just beaten but run over repeatedly with his own car and partially burned—and many suspected a Mafia-style revenge killing.
—Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
Outdoor turkey frying fires and in-door kitchen stove fires can send residents to the emergency room with disfiguring injuries that often require skin grafting, said Patrick Duffy, burn surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Nov. 2025
Though confused by their new reality in the spirit world, the teenagers willingly decide to carry on as they are accosted by a series of demons such as doctors disfiguring patients, human traffickers, and being plagued by war and terrorism.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Nov. 2025
In between detonating bombs hidden in Christmas presents and disfiguring the entire police force, Art sets his sights on the Shaw family.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Freud's pessimism is exacerbated not only by the imminent world war, but also by painful and disfiguring oral cancer.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
To prevent outbreaks of this debilitating, disfiguring and deadly disease, state and local governments implemented smallpox inoculation and vaccination campaigns into the early 1900s.
—Stacie Kershner, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
Killing or seriously disfiguring a neighbor's plants can be grounds for a court battle.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disfiguring
Verb
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Use a suede brush, limited water, and a suede-safe cleaner to gently clean your boots without damaging them.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Twice a day during high tide, water will come up over the retaining wall and flood the area, damaging the trees.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
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Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, along with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, were ejected for fighting, marring what was an intriguing game between the top team in the Eastern Conference and the one featuring the NBA’s longest current win streak.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Department of Homeland Security accused protesters of injuring two federal officers and hitting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with a rock during a downtown student protest on Friday.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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At some point, police and prosecutors say shots were fired, injuring a local police officer.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The department blamed Congress for a sudden $120 million shortfall, but the Herald/Times reported this week that the department’s own actions are crippling the program.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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With temperatures well into the teens and 20s, the ice storm on the southern side will be crippling in terms of travel conditions, trees and power outages.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disfiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disfiguring. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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