as in defects
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the expanding urban sprawl is a blight on the countryside
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Recent Examples of blights
Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
The more kinds of plants, the more defenses to fend off the blights and insect infestations that ran unobstructed through landowners’ large mono-crop fields.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
Even a simple soaker hose is better than a sprinkler system that wets the foliage, which can make plants prone to blights and mildews.
—Marie Iannotti, The Spruce, 3 Mar. 2026
The more kinds of plants, the more defenses to fend off the blights and insect infestations that ran unobstructed through landowners’ large mono-crop fields.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blights
Noun
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Inside these materials, the researchers created tiny defects called torons.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
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Surgeons can intervene when a baby is born blind, deaf and with heart defects after being exposed to rubella in the womb, but the child is still likely to face a life shaped by disability.—
Patricia Callahan,
ProPublica,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another jury in New Mexico said Tuesday that Meta violates state laws and harms children's safety and mental health with its platforms including Facebook and Instagram.—
Carmel Wroth,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
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In a 2025 Pew Research Center poll, for instance, 48% of teens said social media harms people their age.—
Barbara Ortutay,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
My surgeon did a great job; my scars are not bad.—
Marci Greenberg Cox,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The recent scars of Hezbollah's activities were all too visible.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Early salt damage often appears as pale, chalky blotches or uneven fading in the paint finish.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Its purple black center was surrounded by blotches of varying shades and textures, raised or sunken at places.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Researchers believe the cave’s permanent darkness impairs the spiders’ vision, creating an unlikely truce between predator and prey.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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Researchers believe the cave’s poor lighting impairs the spiders’ vision, creating an unlikely truce between the species.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Leon's order, which also included a number of exclamation marks, said the government must get congressional approval before continuing the project.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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All of those offensive marks were needed for Orlando to leave Dallas on top 138-127 in a high-scoring affair that saw Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg post 51 points, 24 of which were recorded in the fourth quarter.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pool drain seriously injures girl Paloma Quatrini was just days away from her fourth birthday when the accident happened at an upscale resort in Mexico.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
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When Don injures his hand, Blue (Hunter McVey) is forced to step into the competition for him.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Children are more likely to suffer from HUS, which damages blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
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This exposure damages the DNA in skin cells and can trigger changes that cause those cells to grow out of control and turn cancerous.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blights. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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