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
The flames claimed the girls as collateral, scarring both of them but disfiguring Anaia, who worked the hardest to save Ruby.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The disfiguring bulge in Dinah’s lower face went away.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
The trouble is, the new growth is highly susceptible to a disfiguring disease called Entomosporium leaf spot.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Hollenbeck and Watkins were reacting to the news outlets’ series, which examined allegations of disfiguring injuries or even deaths tied to cosmetic surgeries.
—Fred Schulte, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
The disfiguring bulge in Dinah’s lower face went away.
—Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
The trouble is, the new growth is highly susceptible to a disfiguring disease called Entomosporium leaf spot.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Hollenbeck and Watkins were reacting to the news outlets’ series, which examined allegations of disfiguring injuries or even deaths tied to cosmetic surgeries.
—Fred Schulte, NBC news, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disfiguring
Verb
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Elsewhere in Times Square, officers moved in after a crowd began damaging a parked school bus, tearing off part of its hood, CNN’s Mark Morales reported.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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When guests feel misled — even unintentionally — brands pay through lower return rates, weaker relationships, greater skepticism, and damaging reviews.—
Teresa Mackintosh,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Use place mats or tablecloths on your kitchen table to keep food spills, condensation from drinks, and utensils from marring or staining the surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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History shows democratic societies periodically require moral correction when economic systems begin injuring people faster than institutions can protect them.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
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Daniella and Castro admitted to injuring a corporal officer by dislocating his shoulder, per the outlet.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The fall broke both his legs, crippling him.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
14 June 2026
-
The Ukrainian military sank several Russian warships in the Black Sea and at their Crimean bases, crippling Moscow’s naval capability and forcing it to redeploy its fleet to Novorossiysk.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disfiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disfiguring. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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