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
PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If the smearing continues, look for a position elsewhere.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2025
Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025
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
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, 19 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere, Mussolini’s goons beat to death a Catholic member of Parliament who refused to bend, the blood from his face and hands smearing the alley wall like stigmata.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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 vacuum cleaner has powerful suction, and the mop cleans without sloshing and smearing water on the floor.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 3 Nov. 2025
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
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, 19 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere, Mussolini’s goons beat to death a Catholic member of Parliament who refused to bend, the blood from his face and hands smearing the alley wall like stigmata.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
After smearing Tylenol, the president's unscripted remarks quickly veered into an incoherent rant linking vaccines to autism as well.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Ciarlo has been a beauty aficionado from her early age of sneaking into her mother's makeup drawer and smearing Joker-esque lipstick on her face.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smearing
Noun
-
The election workers won a $148 million defamation verdict against Giuliani.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
These umbrella policies include coverage for libel, slander, and defamation of character, and legal defense costs.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Your glass tabletops, windows, and mirrors may look worse after cleaning them thanks to the dull film coating their surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Criterion one is mostly addressed through hardware reinforcement and clever engineering, for example, coating internal components in heat-resistant silicone and keeping moving parts to a minimum.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Earlier in December, Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, over its explosive story detailing her alleged treatment on set.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Steve Coogan has settled a libel claim over 2022’s The Lost King after a university academic sued over his depiction in the film.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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One is that there’s this centaur — half-horse, half-me — painting in my apartment.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Spanberger’s campaign had looped the clip in a string of attack ads painting her as combative and unprepared.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And slandering council members, who publicly supported Madigan before Khadija Walker was nominated, is disrespectful and insulting.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
-
Remove any heavy objects from the sides of your tub, as these items can cause chips or cracking that can contribute to staining.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, these shoes are machine washable, so don’t worry about staining the gorgeous light pink shoes on your next adventure!—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smearing. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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