1
as in painted
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 libeled
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
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 smeared
Blood was smeared on the hood, roof and rear of the sedan.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
Hadid appears beat up with a gash on her arm, dirt on her face, and smeared black eye makeup.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
That would hardly seem out of place, especially given that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem smeared Good as a domestic terrorist.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Pink and blue clown paint is now smeared all over the driver's side airbag.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
Hardware stores were the best venue for cheap glues, glazes, and epoxies, which could be smeared, stuffed, and sanded into every crack and crevice.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Climate activists smeared the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, with red and black paint.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
Musk also smeared trans people, complained about Black-on-white crime, stoked fear about the end of civilization and shared his thoughts about the race of child actors.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Nov. 2025
The most eye-catching of the protesters on Monday was a group wearing burlap tunics whose faces were smeared with ashes.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Jan. 2026
Hadid appears beat up with a gash on her arm, dirt on her face, and smeared black eye makeup.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
That would hardly seem out of place, especially given that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem smeared Good as a domestic terrorist.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Pink and blue clown paint is now smeared all over the driver's side airbag.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 Dec. 2025
Hardware stores were the best venue for cheap glues, glazes, and epoxies, which could be smeared, stuffed, and sanded into every crack and crevice.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
Climate activists smeared the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, with red and black paint.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
Musk also smeared trans people, complained about Black-on-white crime, stoked fear about the end of civilization and shared his thoughts about the race of child actors.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Nov. 2025
The most eye-catching of the protesters on Monday was a group wearing burlap tunics whose faces were smeared with ashes.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smeared
Verb
-
Disagreement over the state’s economic health Little and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle painted diverging pictures of the state’s budget and economic prospects.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Trump administration officials painted Macklin Good as a domestic terrorist who had attempted to ram federal agents with her car.—
Michael Biesecker,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until coated, another 30 seconds.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Most cookie sheets are also coated to prevent sticking.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 Dec. 2025
-
She was humiliated when her oldest son was forced to testify in a divorce case.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Ryvchin, whose former home was daubed with antisemitic language and cars were set alight earlier this year, said both Australia’s federal government and provincial leaders in the state of New South Wales had failed to act on proposals to curb antisemitic violence.—
Katie Silver,
NBC news,
25 Dec. 2025
-
The walls at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami are daubed with rosy-red pigment from the Cochineal, a cactus-dwelling insect her mother would harvest and sell in her hometown of Ayacucho, Peru.—
Douglas Markowitz,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The Boston City Council will start off the new year with a new president and a fresh face to replace disgraced former Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
30 Dec. 2025
-
In October, King Charles, 77, took the unprecedented step of stripping Andrew's princely style, titles and honors amid a resurgence of interest in Andrew's links to the late, disgraced Epstein.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Dearborn has often been slandered for simply coexisting peacefully, because the truth is, some people are uncomfortable, and frankly upset about seeing church steeples and mosque domes share the same skyline on roads.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Beck has been excessively maligned considering the career body of work, his record as a starter now 37-5.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
When the Bills drafted him in 2018, the pick was instantly maligned by fans across the country.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The results will vary depending on the fiber content of the socks and how badly they are stained.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Chicken thighs first absorb a garlicky, peppery spice marinade stained with turmeric to accentuate the golden crust.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smeared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smeared. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
