as in defects
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the scars left by carelessly scratching the car door with one's keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cliffs
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice
at the next bend in the river, a scar of red sandstone steeply rises to over 100 feet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scars
David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The people who review the movies for the most part bear those same distinctive scars.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
One picture shows him with an oxygen mask, another his torso full of scars.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
As approximately 96% of adult manatees bear scars from watercraft strikes, this remains a serious issue for the species.
—Elizabeth Neville, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
In the capital Beirut, walls bear the scars of conflicts past.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
In Lahaina, where more than 100 people died in a 2023 fire, debris flowed down burn scars and onto the streets, one resident said.
—Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
What lessons or scars did that leave?
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Her third feature, Dora, is said to center on a young woman carrying physical and emotional scars who encounters another woman in a seaside village, setting the stage for a slow, transformative healing process.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
The recent scars of Hezbollah's activities were all too visible.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The people who review the movies for the most part bear those same distinctive scars.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
One picture shows him with an oxygen mask, another his torso full of scars.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
As approximately 96% of adult manatees bear scars from watercraft strikes, this remains a serious issue for the species.
—Elizabeth Neville, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
In the capital Beirut, walls bear the scars of conflicts past.
—Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
In Lahaina, where more than 100 people died in a 2023 fire, debris flowed down burn scars and onto the streets, one resident said.
—Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 20 Mar. 2026
What lessons or scars did that leave?
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Her third feature, Dora, is said to center on a young woman carrying physical and emotional scars who encounters another woman in a seaside village, setting the stage for a slow, transformative healing process.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scars
Verb
-
Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Imperfect fleshly reality occupies the stage, the region where bones crack and wounds suppurate, schlumpy humans fall for each other, and jealousy roams murderously free.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the oyster tears slightly, don’t panic; flavor matters much more than perfection.—
Rai Mincey,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
-
His scientist creator, Victor Frankenstein, reluctantly agrees, but at the last moment tears the unfinished mate limb from limb as the creature watches on in horror.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The front lid appears to be barely hanging on by a thread, with cuts and gashes throughout.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Heupel spreads out his receivers in an attempt to spread out the defense, then gashes them with the run.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scars. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
