as in stained
not clean
every copy of the book that the store had was smudged
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in blackened
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 smudged
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Those smudged, hazy glass patio doors are not doing your indoor-outdoor view any favors.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
This spring, expect lips to be blurred, eyeliner to be smudged, and skin to be soft-focus.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Or, show your burning desire with Byredo’s Burning Rose Candle and a refillable lipstick set (which will be lovingly smudged by the end of the night).
—Essence, 30 Jan. 2026
The workers’ uniforms are smudged with stains earned underneath a car, wrench in hand.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The ink had smudged in a few places.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
That painting is a lot more smudged.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
From the estuary of the River Plate, the city looks mysterious, almost smudged, its lines seeming less refined than those of Paris but more modern than Warsaw’s.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Those smudged, hazy glass patio doors are not doing your indoor-outdoor view any favors.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
This spring, expect lips to be blurred, eyeliner to be smudged, and skin to be soft-focus.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Or, show your burning desire with Byredo’s Burning Rose Candle and a refillable lipstick set (which will be lovingly smudged by the end of the night).
—Essence, 30 Jan. 2026
The workers’ uniforms are smudged with stains earned underneath a car, wrench in hand.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The ink had smudged in a few places.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
That painting is a lot more smudged.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudged
Adjective
-
Apply to the stained area and work it into the fabric.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
The frame structures already standing would hold stained glass in the finished church for a congregation that formed in the 1890s.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The shrimp basket at B&J's Steak and Seafood includes a half pound of shrimp fried, grilled, blackened or boiled.—
Bill Dawers - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
-
Look for blackened, dim, and flickering bulbs during your inspections and replace those as well.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX's headquarters in Starbase, Texas, which sits at the state's southern tip in the Rio Grande Valley, emerges almost unexpectedly after miles of long, dusty dirt roads.—
Maya Blackstone,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
The nose on my sample kicked off with some dusty funk, espresso, and dark chocolate.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, the prescription offered by those who saw a generally healthy way of life as the right way to prevent disease helped propel cleaning up the filthy cities of the Industrial Revolution—and that really did reduce the impact of common fevers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
On the other hand, the cloth seats in many buses are filthy.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The town attracts large numbers of laborers who work in large gold mines with muddy pools of gold deposits, narrow pits and caves.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
-
As Inga grows to adulthood the biggest dam has destroyed the lake’s shoreline, leaving it muddy and covered with stones.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
There are very few hints in art of dogs being dirty, vicious or rabid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Merchants in fine suits rode in carriages or on sedan chairs while enslaved people lugging carts and crates wore dirty, threadbare clothing and could be publicly whipped or burned to death for misbehavior.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
As the Rams took the field for their last week of OTAs on Monday, the newest member of the organization walked out with his helmet in his left hand, pointing at new teammates with his right, his trademark white and black sweatband around his forehead.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
-
Perry wore a floor-length white gown as Trudeau kept his look simple in a white dress shirt and black blazer over matching slacks.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudged. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
