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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On Sunday, severe thunderstorms are possible later in the day across parts of the northern Plains, including much of the Dakotas with damaging wind gusts and large hail the primary hazards.—
Daniel Peck,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
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On its opening day, a fleet of Ukrainian drones attacked the city, damaging a warship in the nearby port of Kronstadt and setting an oil terminal on fire.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 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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Additionally, a jury found Pasqual guilty of first-degree residential burglary and multiple counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiance's, boyfriend, girlfriend or child's parent.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Overnight into Tuesday, waves of drones and missiles struck the capital, killing and injuring civilians and damaging homes, businesses and public buildings.—
Polina Lytvynova,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Anxiety over ChatGPT and other emerging technology helped derail talks with both unions and the AMPTP in 2023, leading to crippling dual strikes.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
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But, in a separate incident reported by Reuters, it was revealed that Musk did cut service in eastern Ukraine around the same time, crippling a planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kherson.—
Ben Tarnoff,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disfiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disfiguring. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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