as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to damage
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 blight
Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Melton has said numerous times, including at his April 29 State of the City address, that blight elimination is a priority for his administration.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Robert A. Cronkleton
march 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Public opinion has also soured against encampments and blight in recent years, fueling election promises of faster solutions to homelessness.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blight
Noun
So if everyone hates the light blight, why do cities keep installing it?
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Melton has said numerous times, including at his April 29 State of the City address, that blight elimination is a priority for his administration.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Verb
Stepped in to prevent food desert Concerned that closure would again blight the area and re‑create a food desert, CBKC entered negotiations to acquire the grocery operation and assume Lipari Brothers’ lease.
—Robert A. Cronkleton
march 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Public opinion has also soured against encampments and blight in recent years, fueling election promises of faster solutions to homelessness.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blight
Noun
-
To my novice eye, Prysock moved without defect.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
While satellite launches mostly produce black carbon, which has a potential to warm the upper atmosphere, satellite re-entries generate aluminum oxides, which can damage the ozone layer.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Fallen debris also caused a house in the village of Subbotino to catch fire, while four people were injured when drones damaged several residential blocks in the western town of Istra, TASS reported.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since 2015, it has been held in ten different cities, including Las Vegas, where a red carpet was constructed atop the Bellagio’s fountain pool, and Nashville, where rowdy attendees ruined bachelorette parties on Broadway.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Many riads were in a state of disrepair, crammed with striking examples of traditional craftsmanship going to ruin.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 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
-
That could include people who are harmed by the fund’s eventual beneficiaries or who are expecting payment from the DOJ’s preexisting judgment fund, which will feed the new fund.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
-
No human journalist was harmed in this experiment.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Cerebras closed its first day trading on Wall Street with a market cap just below $100 billion, putting it near the few companies to close above that mark, such as Facebook-parent Meta and Alibaba.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
Not all insurance covers it, and the high cost is one of the marks against the drugs, according to the Mayo Clinic, which also cites gastrointestinal problems, loss of muscle mass and bone density as potential negative side effects.—
Connie Ogle
Updated May 15,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
This process is flawed and it can be changed.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
-
This decision is flawed on its face.—
A.J. Russo,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blight. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
