smudgy

adjective

Definition of smudgynext
as in sooty

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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 smudgy The processing appears slightly smudgy in some areas, and the results lack fine details. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026 This label maker saves you the trouble of writing out your kid’s name a million times, or dealing with smudgy permanent markers. — Cecily McAndrews, Parents, 22 May 2026 Kiko Milano Kajal also has a melty, smudgy texture that will make achieving this look a cinch. — Loren Savini, Allure, 20 May 2026 Grab Two Cloths, Not One This detail separates a smudgy wipe-down from a genuinely clear door. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026 Printed on the smudgy, if colorful, cheap wood-pulp paper that would give an entire genre its name, Amazing Stories first began distribution in April of 1926. — Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026 In a moment when much pop music sounds engineered for minimum friction, Ives’ smudgy postcards from the edge constitute a real revelation. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 20 Mar. 2026 From the feathery, full brows to lips that look a little lived in, with smudgy, undefined edges, Park’s calling card has become her face card. — Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2026 Since its premiere, Tell Me Lies has helped contribute to the recent resurgence of Y2K beauty trends, inspiring fans online to dig up their smudgy eyeliner pencils and frosted lipglosses. — Grace McCarty, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudgy
  1. sooty
  2. smoky
  3. milky
Adjective
  • Oily, sooty residue was all over the city.
    — Arundathi Nair, NPR, 17 Mar. 2026
  • By the closer — a grim, sooty final reckoning with the events of June 13 — the colourful escapism of the Uphaar’s Bollywood posters suddenly looks half a world away.
    — Mike McCahill, Variety, 17 Jan. 2023
Definition of sooty
Adjective
  • Under a red condition, the sky can look hazy and smoky, visibility drops and the air may smell like smoke.
    — Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 19 July 2026
  • After days of smoky skies and heavy heat, New Yorkers on Saturday were once again bracing for severe weather, which is expected to include intense thunderstorms, isolated tornadoes, and hail.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026
Definition of smoky
Adjective
  • Celebrity nail artist Sarah Chue created this look using a sheer, milky base and orangey-red French tips.
    — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 19 July 2026
  • The phenomenon, where smoke blots out the blue sky overhead, making the air appear milky-white or even orange, has become a relatively regular fixture of summers where out-of-control wildfires in the West bring noxious smoke downwind.
    — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
Definition of milky

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smudging
smudgy
smug
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Cite this Entry

“Smudgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudgy. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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