as in to stain
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the president's spouse must not have the slightest smudge of scandal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smudge
Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
Designed to deliver buildable volume and definition, the long-wear formula doesn’t smudge and has an innovative conical brush to coat every lash without clumping.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Mar. 2025
How to Deep Clean the Exterior of a Slow Cooker
To clean the exterior of a slow cooker, use a damp microfiber cloth and a pea-sized drop of dish soap to wipe away stuck-on food, drips, or smudges.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Verb
This ensures precision and comfort while minimizing the chance of smudging throughout the day.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
Designed to deliver buildable volume and definition, the long-wear formula doesn’t smudge and has an innovative conical brush to coat every lash without clumping.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
Just before the moon begins to enter the Earth's dark umbral shadow, the penumbra should appear as an obvious smudge or tarnishing of the moon's left portion.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Mar. 2025
How to Deep Clean the Exterior of a Slow Cooker
To clean the exterior of a slow cooker, use a damp microfiber cloth and a pea-sized drop of dish soap to wipe away stuck-on food, drips, or smudges.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudge
Verb
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The team that would replace us would be stained, football would be stained.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
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As both business owner and head baker — her black chef’s coat is usually powdered with flour, her hands stained with icing — Vee won’t have time this June to participate in the Chicago Pride Parade.—
Sophie Levenson,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Noun
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That realization tends to color behavior, and taints the findings.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
17 June 2025
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In his podcast on The Daily Wire this week, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro cited the taint of the jet deal and called on his listeners to honestly consider its implications.—
Howard LaFranchi,
Christian Science Monitor,
15 May 2025
Verb
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And for nights when you can't be bothered to dirty a million dishes just to get dinner on the table, there's an air fryer from Ninja.—
Sarah Felbin,
SELF,
23 May 2025
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Crème Brûlée Steve Granitz Crème brûlée is like butter blonde, but dirtied up a bit for a browned, warm tint.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Using a slotted spoon, transfer poached eggs to a paper-towel lined plate; blot dry.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
14 June 2025
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Vietnam is a wound for many Americans: a bloody quagmire, a blot on our conscience, a war that claimed more than 58,000 American lives and shattered faith at home in the good intentions of the government.—
Leo Tran,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Nearly five years after a massive fire burned California’s oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods, blackening groves of famous ancient redwoods and destroying all the campgrounds, the visitor center and other facilities, state parks officials have finalized a plan to rebuild.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
19 June 2025
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Lightning had struck a single ponderosa pine, blackening its trunk.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudge. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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