SMEAR Synonyms: 94 Similar and Opposite Words

smear 1 of 2

verb

Definition of smear

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

Relevance

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

smear

2 of 2

noun

as in slander

Related Words

as in stain

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

vision

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 smear

Verb

Camille can still picture Burke standing over her, fake blood smeared across her dress. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 There’s rarely anything as straightforward as a kick drum, a hi-hat, or even a bassline here; instead, everything is smeared, all origins occulted in a thicket of echoes and reflections. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026

Noun

Why, then, this inexplicable smear campaign against a film that its accusers have evidently not even seen yet? — John Bleasdale, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026 Since the 37-year-old state senator clinched the nomination, right-wing politicians and media figures have been running a bizarre smear campaign attacking Talarico for not being manly enough. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for smear

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smear

Verb

Sesame proteins were found in a red sample from a coffin fragment and a tomb wall painting fragment, and moringa proteins were detected on a coffin sample.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
The hothouse flowers of the salon—a nod to the city’s art nouveau Palmenhaus—were painstakingly painted by Viennese artist Marie Hartig, while the rooftop mural is by enigmatic graffiti artist KNARF.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of paint

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
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

Definition of libel

Noun

David Brouillette denied the allegations in court filings and accused the unnamed ex-wife of slander, the AP reports, but she was granted a temporary protective order on behalf of the daughter in 2021.

— Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
The French influencer Eros Brousson strikes again – this time with Waffle House slander.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026

Definition of slander

Noun

The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Homeowners can check that attic and soffit vents are clear and look for signs of moisture, water stains, mold, or visible frost during winter.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of stain

Verb

The issue here is not with this project, which is building something artistic and beautiful, but with a broader, pro-AI tech culture that has discredited AI and its public image.

— James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
At the same time, the war on terror fueled an alarming rise in xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment and discredited the country’s political and foreign policy elites.

— Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of discredit

Noun

The comment has since gone viral, and Ossoff has repeatedly doubled down on the remarks, despite some on the right accusing him of pushing innuendo about the much-younger Harp and some on the left suggesting the comments went too far.

— Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
The way it's being phrased, the innuendo there that transgender women are predators of some kind in the locker room.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of innuendo

Noun

Live music has become almost as synonymous with the festival as smudges of chalk on fingers and faces, and attendees were dancing and enjoying the performances in the light heat of the early afternoon.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Compared with the thick smudges of white on the fan that Amélie is holding, or the broad, lush strokes of the background, the sleeve is fidgety.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of smudge

Browse Nearby Words

smatters

smear

smeared

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Smear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smear. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smear

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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