as in defects
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the first mirror had a blemish on its surface, so we took it back to the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stains
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
a scratch blemished the finish on the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blemishes
Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026
Meanwhile, Colorado’s penalty kill had its first blemishes of the series.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Fans of the Bulls will undoubtedly recognize a climactic moment in Running Point season two, but another subplot involving Waves’ captain, Marcus Winfield, and rising star, Dyson Gibbs, was surprisingly not inspired by one of the few blemishes of the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Touching up selfies to fix blemishes and change your look has been an option for decades, but new tools within Google Photos may make those edits faster and easier to control on mobile.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Second stage problems are responsible for the only blemishes in SpaceX’s near-perfect reliability record with the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
Looks vibrant in color and has no large blemishes or scratches.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Dark or too strong nail polishes can sometimes highlight blemishes, veins, or expression lines.
—Andrea Carbajal, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026
Rocker still has considerable upside despite those blemishes, and with only 159 2/3 total professional innings under his belt, the 26-year-old is far from a finished product.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
Light-diffusing pigments blur the look of dark circles, blemishes, and uneven skin tone with a soft-focus effect, while the proprietary Flex Form Matrix technology creates a breathable layer that moves with the skin throughout the day—without settling into fine lines or creasing.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026
Meanwhile, Colorado’s penalty kill had its first blemishes of the series.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Fans of the Bulls will undoubtedly recognize a climactic moment in Running Point season two, but another subplot involving Waves’ captain, Marcus Winfield, and rising star, Dyson Gibbs, was surprisingly not inspired by one of the few blemishes of the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Touching up selfies to fix blemishes and change your look has been an option for decades, but new tools within Google Photos may make those edits faster and easier to control on mobile.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Second stage problems are responsible for the only blemishes in SpaceX’s near-perfect reliability record with the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
Looks vibrant in color and has no large blemishes or scratches.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Dark or too strong nail polishes can sometimes highlight blemishes, veins, or expression lines.
—Andrea Carbajal, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026
Rocker still has considerable upside despite those blemishes, and with only 159 2/3 total professional innings under his belt, the 26-year-old is far from a finished product.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blemishes
Noun
-
An inspector can catch defects before closing while the builder is still obligated to correct them.—
Ryan Brennan
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
-
Condos are particularly tough for builders to invest in because California law allows homeowners associations, or HOAs, to sue developers for construction defects for up to 10 years after a building is completed.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even one drink of alcohol damages the immune system, lowering its ability to battle invaders within 20 minutes of consumption.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
Nebraska 2nd District The leading Democratic hopefuls in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District have been battling over whether one candidate's campaign damages the party's competitiveness in the area.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
In humans, glial scars form very quickly after injury.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Harris also shows us the burn scars that ripple up Racine’s arm and across Anaia’s face, textured skin that makes strangers blanch, to which Racine lashes out defensively.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The sarcasm taints the question but doesn’t invalidate it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Soon, red blotches were sprouting on his skin.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
-
These grow to form blotches that have lighter and darker zones appearing as irregular concentric rings that grow throughout the season until the entire leaf turns black and dies.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
This post spoils the Off Campus book series.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Although their relationship begins as a love story, the book brings home the profits of Jacob’s earlier brutality—fate catches up to him, and everything that is love and passion sort of spoils into wrath and obsession.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blemishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemishes. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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