as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
this smearing has got to stop, or the voters will conclude that there's absolutely no one worth voting for
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in coating
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in libeling
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
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Recent Examples of smearing
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Black inks for the same printers tend to have less obvious smearing than the color ink, and many smear just enough to see a smudge, without harming readability.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If the smearing continues, look for a position elsewhere.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2026
Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Micron has come a long way since its humble founding nearly half a century ago in the basement of a Boise dental office, where sedative gas wafted through the floorboards and an early executive used a hair dryer to keep the company’s logo from smearing off its chips.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Anderson has countersued and accused Burkle of smearing his reputation amid a separate business dispute.
—Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
When smearing peanut butter on bread, the robot watches the knife deflect down and crush the bread and judges forces from that.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 Mar. 2026
Instead of unsuccessfully trying to wipe off the dust buildup that has turned sticky with a damp cloth and only smearing it around, Goo Gone breaks down the tacky oils for complete and effortless removal.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
This dedication centers Sophie and Benedict’s second meet-cute, when the two cross paths at a country house where Benedict is attending a party and where Sophie is now working, after being unable to find a position in London thanks to her stepmother smearing her reputation.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026
Noun
Whereas the initial narrowband signal might have a strong power across just a few frequencies, the smearing spreads that power across more frequencies, reducing the strength of the signal.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Black inks for the same printers tend to have less obvious smearing than the color ink, and many smear just enough to see a smudge, without harming readability.
—PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If the smearing continues, look for a position elsewhere.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
The pigment lasts all day without smearing.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2026
Mullin did not apologize for his remarks and instead accused Paul of smearing his character.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Micron has come a long way since its humble founding nearly half a century ago in the basement of a Boise dental office, where sedative gas wafted through the floorboards and an early executive used a hair dryer to keep the company’s logo from smearing off its chips.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Anderson has countersued and accused Burkle of smearing his reputation amid a separate business dispute.
—Sacbee.com, 6 Mar. 2026
When smearing peanut butter on bread, the robot watches the knife deflect down and crush the bread and judges forces from that.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 Mar. 2026
Instead of unsuccessfully trying to wipe off the dust buildup that has turned sticky with a damp cloth and only smearing it around, Goo Gone breaks down the tacky oils for complete and effortless removal.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
This dedication centers Sophie and Benedict’s second meet-cute, when the two cross paths at a country house where Benedict is attending a party and where Sophie is now working, after being unable to find a position in London thanks to her stepmother smearing her reputation.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
This will lead to smearing dust particles around instead of picking them up, which is where a wet cloth comes into play.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smearing
Noun
-
Claiming defamation and invasion of privacy, seven deputies from the raid sued.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The president and his allies continue to allege the machines deleted or switched votes in 2020, despite no supporting evidence and big money paid to Dominion in defamation settlements.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The inspector noticed an expired permit on the wall, a slime coating on the ice chute of the ice machine and disposable cups stored on the floor.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
-
In 2018, the team made an important leap forward by using spray coating to create layers of chitin and cellulose nanomaterials.—
J. Carson Meredith,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And there was a huge libel action against him that was taken out by a very brave writer called Deborah Lipstadt, who won against him.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In September 2024, Newsmax paid $40 million to settle another libel lawsuit with Smartmatic, another voting machine company, over claims that Smartmatic helped rig the 2020 election.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Vargas is painting freehand with brushes on an extremely textured surface.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The 16th and 17th century wars of religion saw reformers like Martin Luther painting the Roman Catholic Church in apocalyptic terms resulting in much bloodshed and likely persuading the Founding Fathers to include the disestablishment clause in the Constitution.—
Chloe Breyer,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Shocking lies Within hours, the administration was slandering her.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
17 Jan. 2026
-
And then the media was slandering our dad’s name and reputation after a lifetime of being a fairly wholesome guy.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But there is a distinction, Kutwala said, between flying flags from one’s own property and daubing paint across the town.—
Olivia Kemp,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Defense attorneys have also decried violations of fair-trial rights, saying that the prosecutor in the cases has sought to influence the jury pool by maligning those charged.—
LAUREN CARASIK,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Feb. 2017
Verb
-
There are a few options to deal with old brickwork, including cleaning and repairing the brick, painting or staining the brick, or even installing new siding or stucco over the brick.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Sealing your grout is a great way to prevent further staining and using a steam cleaner or steam mop can help to lift the stains.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smearing. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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