1
as in to paint
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in slander
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smear
Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2025
It's been difficult to have to deal with the regular and repeated smears and slander upon my name and on the very basis of my faith.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Combined with smearing a victim’s name, doxxing can lead to threats, stalking, and violence.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smear
Verb
Check the insulation in the attic for distinctive trails, as well as random smears of dirt on the outside of the home, which can point to one or more raccoons living in the house.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2025
It's been difficult to have to deal with the regular and repeated smears and slander upon my name and on the very basis of my faith.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 29 June 2025
Noun
My hands smeared in gore, eyes alight with frenzied ecstasy.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Combined with smearing a victim’s name, doxxing can lead to threats, stalking, and violence.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smear
Verb
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And the so the people who bought the houses had the option to keep them or paint them beige, and everyone painted them beige.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
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Since announcing the federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department, Trump has sought to paint a picture of a lawless city that he’s set to clean up.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2025
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As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After the editorial appeared, on January 7, 1978, seminarians incensed by the slander of Khomeini staged large demonstrations in Qom.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
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The film’s anarchy and media manipulation and slander played out during the last presidential election, and with subsequent things like the sacking of Trump critic Stephen Colbert as Skydance and Paramount Global were desperate for FCC approval of the $8 billion acquisition.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Apply a baking soda paste to any noticeable yellow stains.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
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Professional dental cleanings can remove these stains and restore the restorations’ original brightness.—
Daryl Austin,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For a delicious, air fryer-friendly cheese recipe, try coating your cheese in breading.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Aug. 2025
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Some dailies, for example, are coated with phospholipid, which is what cell membranes are made of.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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During the two-month trial, Combs’ defense attorneys focused much of their efforts on questioning – and attempting to discredit – witnesses brought forth by the prosecution.—
Elizabeth Wagmeister,
CNN Money,
5 Aug. 2025
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Activists have worked steadily to discredit stories about famine.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There’s no adult jokes or innuendo in the film at all.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
18 July 2025
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For this event, Love Island has dispensed with the innuendos and just gone for a straightforward kink theme.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Forget that your Gucci purse will never again suffer smudges from hands soiled by oil or gasoline.—
Mark Phelan,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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The deep, burgundy-brown tone adds dimension without overpowering, and the tubing formula lengthens and defines with zero flakes or smudges, while wrapping each lash from root to tip in water-resistant pigment.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smear. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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