1
as in paints
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 libels
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
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Recent Examples of smears
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!
—
The Hill,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane.
—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!
—
The Hill,
1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smears
Verb
-
But a closer examination paints a more complicated picture.
-
Emre Elmas of San Francisco paints his face before the World Cup group stage match between Paraguay and Turkiye.
Noun
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Believing our conduct improper, the villagers began to make insinuations.
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But whatever one thinks of Massie’s anti-Israel activism and anti-Jewish insinuations, neither was the reason he was excised.
Noun
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Textra 11 Apex is not trying to replace a heavy-duty carpet extractor, and Fanttik is clear that it is not intended for stubborn, set-in stains or pet hair removal.
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The lids are made with Rubbermaid’s BPA-free StainShield plastic, which resists odors and stains without warping in the dishwasher.
Verb
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Mold still coats the walls along with holes in the ceiling.
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The rich blend of shea butter, murumuru butter, coconut oil, and vitamin C coats lips in lasting moisture overnight.
Noun
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Amid aspersions and attack ads, the pair nearly came to blows at a community debate.
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Not Calvin Klein casting gay aspersions!
Noun
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There are faint smudges of pastel crayon on the wall and carved profanities with paint chips revealing the previous cerulean walls.
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Between sunscreen smudges, salty beach days, and long afternoons by the pool, your favorite shades are exposed to everything the season has to offer.
Verb
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In a city that continually anoints anoints new noteworthies in the hospitality space, The Connaught remains one of London’s long-lasting greats.
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The episode officially anoints a new captain for the 118 — and sees Harry considering a life fighting fires.
Noun
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Dabbing the cloth in rubbing alcohol, working away the dirty blots on the glass, waiting for the haze in my head to focus, and a new line to come to me.
-
One of the few blots on last summer’s Leeds copybook.
Cite this Entry
“Smears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smears. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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