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
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Recent Examples of smears
The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!
—The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smears
Verb
-
How Deepfakes Became a New Corporate Threat The report paints a picture of deepfake fraud maturing into a repeatable business model.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The data paints a picture of an urgent drive to develop capacity for new and more sophisticated missiles.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Stubborn stains, such as makeup, grass, and nail polish, can also benefit from a hot water wash.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Leaks, ceiling stains or granules in gutters may signal damaged or missing asphalt shingles.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Stearic acid in the formula also coats hair in a light protective veil to prevent your color from fading.—
Mary Honkus,
Glamour,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Continue until the solution makes a paste and coats the entire surface of the tub.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Those with stainless steel appliances and a full household know the struggle of streaks, smudges, and fingerprints all over your once-shining cookware.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Just walking across them barefoot can leave smudges, and even clean shoes can leave visible marks.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only when Mamdani appeared with him did opponents resurrect insinuations tying the imam to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.—
Faisal Kutty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Paul Thomas Anderon’s newest movie is very much a comedy, but Hall is mostly on hand during its graver political insinuations.—
Matthew Jacobs,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Swedish institution often anoints writers who metabolize their specific histories into memorable language that stretches beyond borders and governments, transcending regional particulars.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But in the end, their stories were deeper than the aspersions cast upon them.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
-
And in mid-century America, there were so many aspersions to be cast!—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smears. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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