as in staining
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
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Recent Examples of smudging
Picture a world dominated by paper forms—carbon copies smudging under the relentless pressure of scribbled notes—a world where dispatching felt more like a chaotic game of telephone than a streamlined operation.
—
Karpagam Narayanan, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Karpagam Narayanan, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudging
Verb
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Enter this darling Dutch oven—it’s constructed with long-lasting cast-iron and finished with a triple-layer enamel coating that prevents chipping, fading, cracking, and staining with use.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
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After victims were taken inside the hospital, photos taken by an employee of the Gaza Ministry of Health show blood staining multiple floors of the stairwell.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
River Selby
August 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudging. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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