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 throughout the business.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Shohreh Dupuis left her job as city manager of Laguna Beach two years ago, in the wake of a squabble with a city council member, a threat of a harassment lawsuit, and an inquiry into into how her house came to be smeared with feces.
—Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Jason’s windshield was smeared, and the late-afternoon sunlight came through hazily.
—Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
After many years of legal battles with the city, Smollett lost his job on Empire and his reputation was smeared.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2025
Priscilla has, in turn, smeared Kruse and Fialko with false lies and malicious campaigns.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Plastic faded the blonde color of butter with age and the lettering smeared away, big thumbprint smearing a lilac hollow through the violet plastic of the power button.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Unless someone else as ghoulish as Aunt Gladys comes along between now and Halloween, get ready for a sea of adults wearing costumes punctuated by bright orange wigs, lips smeared haphazardly with lipstick and enormous eyeglasses.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Shohreh Dupuis left her job as city manager of Laguna Beach two years ago, in the wake of a squabble with a city council member, a threat of a harassment lawsuit, and an inquiry into into how her house came to be smeared with feces.
—Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Jason’s windshield was smeared, and the late-afternoon sunlight came through hazily.
—Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
After many years of legal battles with the city, Smollett lost his job on Empire and his reputation was smeared.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2025
Priscilla has, in turn, smeared Kruse and Fialko with false lies and malicious campaigns.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Plastic faded the blonde color of butter with age and the lettering smeared away, big thumbprint smearing a lilac hollow through the violet plastic of the power button.
—Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2025
Unless someone else as ghoulish as Aunt Gladys comes along between now and Halloween, get ready for a sea of adults wearing costumes punctuated by bright orange wigs, lips smeared haphazardly with lipstick and enormous eyeglasses.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smeared
Verb
-
The other is a sculpture, cast from bronze by Vija Celmins and painted to match the original.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The ceiling and surrounding walls are painted Valspar Sweet Clover—a soft green that pulls out the verdant hues in the wallpaper pattern (Nathan Turner's Cowboy Toile).—
Monika Biegler Eyers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Detroit paced the Central for almost the entire season … only to trip over itself, fall down a flight of stairs coated in aioli, and land on a whoopee cushion in front of its crush.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Line a sheet pan with wax or parchment paper coated with cooking spray.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Researchers expected the dogs to pay most attention to the cat doll, particularly when daubed with the feline scent.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
She is being held at the same facility as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison for defrauding investors with her medical startup.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
18 Sep. 2025
-
An excessive force lawsuit against a former San Jose cop disgraced by a racist texting scandal is set to resume, after a federal court ruling last week affirmed the ex-officer is not shielded from litigation in his controversial 2022 shooting of an aspiring college football player.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sitting in class next to a star athlete destined for Division I football, the future comedy mogul listened as his teacher publicly humiliated him in front of his peers.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Is he humiliated by being asked to leave surreptitiously for Olivia’s amusement, or is this a game for him too?—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Moreno calls accusations ‘slander’ In a statement provided to The Bee, Moreno denied the accusations and said she was being slandered.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
If a toilet seat is stained, go ahead and buy a replacement.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
-
In his third season in Boulder, coach Deion Sanders continues to lament an issue that ruined his first season and stained his second.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thibodeau has been unfairly maligned for his hard-driving approach to the game.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The Carolina Panthers’ much maligned 2023 draft class took another hit on Tuesday.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smeared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smeared. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share