smudge 1 of 2

verb

ˈsməj How to pronounce smudge (audio)
Definition of smudgenext
as in to stain
to make dirty she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

smudge

2 of 2

noun

as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace the president's spouse must not have the slightest smudge of scandal

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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 smudge
Verb
The Bobbi Brown side had faded less and hadn’t smudged as much beneath my lower lash line, which is usually the first area to start running. — Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 2 Sep. 2026 Dark circles get enhanced rather than left alone, and liner is smudged on purpose to look slept-in. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
Instead of bright or pure white finishes, creamy tones are more forgiving against scuffs, fingerprints, smudges, and everyday kitchen messes. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 3 Nov. 2026 Wipe Down High-Touch Surfaces Even when a car looks relatively clean, fingerprints, dust, and smudges can build up on various surfaces. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudge
  1. stain
  2. taint
  3. dirty
  4. blot
  5. blacken
Verb
  • Donning a pink skirt suit and matching pillbox hat stained with fake blood, Fox stepped out as the former First Lady during an event for Urban Decay.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The sculptures were frequently stained with graphite or chalk dust, whose force of presence was comparable to that of cliff or cave, capable of stunning the viewer into silence.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • The company has previously harvested grapes that could not be made into wine following wildfire smoke-taint, including from Cates’ own vineyard.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Even though Thiam denied knowledge of it and was cleared of involvement, the taint of the scandal led to his ouster.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • Dirty Dishes Apart from making your kitchen look disorganized, letting dishes pile up can lead to food debris and grime dirtying your sink and attracting pests.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 2 Nov. 2026
  • To even wade into the arguments might dirty your hands, and mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dirty
Noun
  • Would not winning a World Series have left a blot on the lives of Cubs fans?
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Liz’s view Anthropic’s IPO prospectus is a perfect ink-blot test.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of blot
Verb
  • The necklace features a set of round brilliant cut diamonds set in 18 carat blackened white gold and yellow gold.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 7 Nov. 2026
  • As Jones finishes off Laveaux with a final spray of her air gun and blackens his teeth, other actors are lining up.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of blacken

Browse Nearby Words

smothers
smudge
smudged
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Cite this Entry

“Smudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudge. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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