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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smeared
At the start of the short, paved trail, the green slopes appear smeared with vague suggestions of ocher and mauve.
—
Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
One of the men smeared our foreheads with sandalwood paste, vermilion, and rice.
—Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
On one visit, the pizza was smeared in a creamy, garlicky white sauce with a smattering of roasted broccoli.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Clearly, the presence of sugar was no deterrent, as the dog appeared to have enthusiastically investigated the fallen bag, emerging with powdered evidence smeared across his face.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said a man hurled pages of the Quran and smeared feces on the door of the mosque.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The high-frequency detail that was already fading from atmospheric absorption got smeared further.
—Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Grainy mustard smeared on a chunk of corned beef is delicious too.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Cops called to the scene found blood smeared on the stairwell from the third floor to the second, and more blood smeared on the walls in the second-floor hallway.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
One of the men smeared our foreheads with sandalwood paste, vermilion, and rice.
—Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
On one visit, the pizza was smeared in a creamy, garlicky white sauce with a smattering of roasted broccoli.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Clearly, the presence of sugar was no deterrent, as the dog appeared to have enthusiastically investigated the fallen bag, emerging with powdered evidence smeared across his face.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said a man hurled pages of the Quran and smeared feces on the door of the mosque.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The high-frequency detail that was already fading from atmospheric absorption got smeared further.
—Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Grainy mustard smeared on a chunk of corned beef is delicious too.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 4 Mar. 2026
Cops called to the scene found blood smeared on the stairwell from the third floor to the second, and more blood smeared on the walls in the second-floor hallway.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smeared
Verb
-
The gouache on paper was painted by Picasso in 1941.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
McKellen’s character hasn’t painted in decades.—
Emma Allen,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By 1896, Kodak was marketing film specially coated for motion picture use.—
Marcia Greenwood,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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The infrared sensors are beneath a clear plastic window that can easily get coated with dirt and dust.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tiger Woods is reportedly reeling after his latest DUI arrest, humiliated by the fallout.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Rockies have been humiliated before in their first home game, but never as badly as this.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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New Orleans has long been notorious for embracing such scoundrels, a reputation that isn’t exactly helped by the fact that, for many years, disgraced attorneys who lost their licenses in Louisiana and applied for readmission to the bar often got it.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The move adds to longstanding concern among health experts that chaos and political interference under Kennedy—a staunch anti-vaccine activist who has long falsely maligned COVID-19 vaccines—is deeply undermining science at federal agencies and beyond.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
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In both Dream Scenario and The Drama, Borgli sides with the maligned, framing those who cast judgment as shrewish and needling (exemplified in The Drama with a deliciously irritating performance from Alana Haim).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
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These areas are most productive on sunny days or when the water’s stained.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smeared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smeared. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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