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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smear
Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Since the premiere of the movie in August 2024, Lively has also accused Baldoni of participating in a deliberate smear campaign to ruin her reputation.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Police entered the home on a welfare check and noticed blood smeared on the walls and furniture scattered across the living room.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smear
Verb
Last year, the competition got heated between Consuelos and The Tonight Show host, who ran a smear campaign ad against his competition.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Since the premiere of the movie in August 2024, Lively has also accused Baldoni of participating in a deliberate smear campaign to ruin her reputation.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
The little brother is still contentedly working on his painting, dipping his brush into his pots and then smearing it across the paper.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Police entered the home on a welfare check and noticed blood smeared on the walls and furniture scattered across the living room.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smear
Verb
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The clip, just over a minute long, shows officers shouting commands as a woman in a keffiyeh steps past a blue line painted on the property.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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For this reason, walls in high-traffic or humid rooms often need to be painted every two or three years.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 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
-
Jones accused Parker of slander and defamation, and said the incident could have an impact on the ability of her nonprofit to raise funds.—
Amanda McCoy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The Guardian should sue for slander.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Plus, their fabric and fill are less likely to accrue that ever-darkening yellowish stain that tired goose down pillows acquire over time, thanks to sweat, oils, lotion residues, etc.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
24 Oct. 2025
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For more stubborn or deep stains, like ink or red wine, combine equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to form a paste.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The apple pie flavor boasts a filling of apple purée and fresh cream on top of a graham cracker crust, all coated with a layer of chocolate.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
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Drizzle over pretzels and gently stir to coat.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The study authors looked at 13 samples and found no traces of typhus, but their work does not discredit the findings of the 2006 study, the researchers noted.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Many fans have welcomed her to the two-time winners club, joining the likes of Tony Vlachos and Sandra Diaz-Twine, while others have discredited her triumph.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The latter song definitely required a bit of a disclaimer from Kylie, as the buzzy lyrics are full of innuendos about Travis’ — ahem — package.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
9 Oct. 2025
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Produced before the rigid censorship of Hollywood’s Hays Code, The Old Dark House is much more explicit than horror films in the years to follow, dripping with provocations and innuendos, with a daring sensibility befitting a director whose own personal life flew in the face of convention.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said the probe so far involved 23 search warrants and a Ford Escape SUV believed to be used in the incident identified through brake dust on the wheel well, smudges and bird droppings.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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The draw to the formula is its transfer-proof watery texture that delivers an unexpected punch of color on all skin tones—and one that will last throughout the night for smudge-free color.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smear. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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