1
as in to vandalize
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
the principal vowed to get the punks who defaced the statue in front of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deface
Just weeks ago, a medical office in West Boca Raton was defaced with a swastika and racial slurs.
—
Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Grok, in fact, generated images of Good wearing a bikini and pictures of her defaced with bullet holes in the days after her death.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Nunez-Romano was also charged with possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card and defacing the serial number of a firearm.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deface
Elliott Broidy, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
During the demonstrations for racial justice in 2020, protestors across the country defaced and tore down statues of Washington, arguing that enslavers should be reviled, not honored.
—John Garrison Marks, Time, 23 Jan. 2026
Grok, in fact, generated images of Good wearing a bikini and pictures of her defaced with bullet holes in the days after her death.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Nunez-Romano was also charged with possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card and defacing the serial number of a firearm.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
-
The site was vandalized on May 28, 2024 with an on-site car set on fire.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In November, a woman was caught and charged with a felony for vandalizing ancient petroglyphs near Moab.—
Outside,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Sahuarita, was shot and critically injured, according to authorities.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Kevin De Bruyne got injured in October and hasn’t featured since.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the Red Sox destroyed and ended their relationship with their only true power hitter and proven winner for a player who, though an undeniably excellent addition, was here for 117 total games.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
In the Pacific Palisades and nearby Malibu, flames burned for 31 days, scorching 37 square miles and destroying more than 6,000 structures, most of them homes.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Some government offices and financial institutions were damaged during the unrest, residents said, while merchants reported being ordered to reopen businesses despite ongoing security operations.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The gunfire damaged the car’s rear end, trunk, tail light and rear window louver, according to court documents.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The World Food Program said in an earlier statement that its warehouse was demolished by Somali authorities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The building will be demolished to make way for an 86-unit affordable housing development, according to board documents.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tempers flared during a recent pair of NBA games, and both contests were marred by tense clashes between players.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
To bring cameras into the equation might mar the authenticity of this pursuit.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In 2021, a record-shattering outbreak of cold in Texas crippled the state’s electric grid, a meltdown blamed in large part on failures in its gas infrastructure.—
Kristi Swartz,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Widespread power outages, dilapidated equipment, and a lack of spare parts from absent foreign firms crippled operations.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
