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2
as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
local residents regard the hulking apartment building as a hideous excrescence on their once-lovely street
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of excrescence
But if the art market seems like an excrescence on a more limited and refined definition of the art world — focused on art, artists, museums, nonprofit arts organizations and the passion of art lovers and connoisseurs — then Sotheby’s capture of the building is impossible to celebrate.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
One suspects that that weird brown hair-excrescence thing had something to do with it.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 15 Jan. 2021
Each generation sees the technological advances of the previous era—no matter how near—as excrescences of an ancient world.
—Maël Renouard, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020
His nationalism, in expression hyperbolic enough, essentially takes the form of virulent tropes of anti-socialism, anti-feminism and homophobia, excrescences alien to the Brazilian soul.
—Will Meyer, Longreads, 4 Oct. 2019
Various external forces coincided to make Kuma’s flirtation with monumental excrescences an abortive one.
—Nikil Saval, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2018
His evidence comes not only from obscure and difficult literary testimonia but from tree rings, ice cores and speleothems (excrescences found in caves from which ancient humidity levels can be deduced).
—James Romm, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2017
It was argued that the condition of Russia was a special one; that, elsewhere, the problem was rather one of dealing with the excrescences of the capitalist system than with capitalism itself.
—Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
One suspects that that weird brown hair-excrescence thing had something to do with it.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 15 Jan. 2021
Each generation sees the technological advances of the previous era—no matter how near—as excrescences of an ancient world.
—Maël Renouard, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020
His nationalism, in expression hyperbolic enough, essentially takes the form of virulent tropes of anti-socialism, anti-feminism and homophobia, excrescences alien to the Brazilian soul.
—Will Meyer, Longreads, 4 Oct. 2019
Various external forces coincided to make Kuma’s flirtation with monumental excrescences an abortive one.
—Nikil Saval, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2018
His evidence comes not only from obscure and difficult literary testimonia but from tree rings, ice cores and speleothems (excrescences found in caves from which ancient humidity levels can be deduced).
—James Romm, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2017
It was argued that the condition of Russia was a special one; that, elsewhere, the problem was rather one of dealing with the excrescences of the capitalist system than with capitalism itself.
—Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excrescence
Noun
-
Once doctors hurriedly removed the dangerous tumor growing on his brain, a weeklong hospital stay, months of therapy, and nearly $250,000 worth of medical expenses followed.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Skinner worked as a social worker until a brain tumor sidelined her career.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Scaling these devices into full modules also introduces manufacturing challenges, such as ensuring material uniformity and controlling defects.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The filing cites past crashes, including a fatal 2009 FedEx MD-11 crash in Tokyo, and alleges similar design flaws or defects in Boeing’s MD-11 may have caused or contributed to the November 4 crash.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
While many people might rush to see a doctor after such a discovery, Farrington put it off, telling herself that the lump would disappear naturally.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The cash option is a one-time, lump-sum payment that is equal to all the cash in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Photos show the Maratus australis spider, which has an intricate pattern of blue and brown blotches edged with bright teal and red-orange stripes.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The one blemish — or ugly blotch — was that crushing 7-2 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain last week.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The scars of that era run deep.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
The feeling those two summoned in back-to-back Bulls losses were a product of battle scars accrued through years of learning to seize games.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The disease can also cause foot deformities that worsen over time.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Oct. 2025
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From a practical standpoint, however, pointy-toed shoes can lead to foot deformities and health problems.—
Michael Watson,
The Conversation,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excrescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excrescence. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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