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
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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
as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the defacement of the school's property ended up costing hundreds of dollars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deface
Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024
Posters of the president and his father Hafez, who began the family’s tyrannical rule five decades earlier, had been defaced, shot through or ripped apart.
—Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
Photos and videos on Sunday showed Assad posters being defaced, statues toppled, and government buildings raided, with crowds gathering in the streets to celebrate the end of the regime.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Dec. 2024
Bluer was accused of defacing the Roseville building around Oct. 24, 2021, because of the race and color of people affiliated with the church.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deface 
Verb
When the university received multiple reports of vandalism targeted at a Jewish student − including that his home was egged, his door defaced and feces smeared around his home − the university did not assess the situation.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2024
Posters of the president and his father Hafez, who began the family’s tyrannical rule five decades earlier, had been defaced, shot through or ripped apart.
—Justin Salhani, The Dial, 17 Dec. 2024
Photos and videos on Sunday showed Assad posters being defaced, statues toppled, and government buildings raided, with crowds gathering in the streets to celebrate the end of the regime.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Dec. 2024
Bluer was accused of defacing the Roseville building around Oct. 24, 2021, because of the race and color of people affiliated with the church.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
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Despite Cohn’s efforts to secure the building, it was vandalized in late 2023.—
Eric Lach,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
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An Oregon elections office was vandalized and heavily damaged just hours before the second inauguration of President Trump.—
Stepheny Price,
Fox News,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Detectives arrested a suspect associated with a stabbing that killed a woman and left a man seriously injured in west Roseville on Saturday, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.—
Emma Hall,
Sacramento Bee,
26 Jan. 2025
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But the three-peat has proved elusive in professional football for all kinds of reasons: Key players get injured.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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What To Know The vandalism consisted of the destruction of nine memorial wreaths, which were laid down on January 28 during a ceremony for to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
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Recent happenings across the globe—from Australia to Canada—have reported concerning incidents including swastika vandalism being spray-painted on a synagogue.—
Irwin Cotler,
TIME,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The video was released Sunday by a law firm representing a woman whose house was destroyed by the fire and is suing Southern California Edison, the primary electrical utility for Los Angeles.—
Michelle Watson,
CNN,
27 Jan. 2025
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By the time the show opened on Friday, the Eaton Fire, which is now 95 percent contained, had burned over 14,000 acres and destroyed over 9,000 structures in Altadena, Pasadena, and other areas nearby.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The most recent rupture occurred on Sunday, damaging a fiber optic cable connecting Latvia to the Swedish island of Gotland.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
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This energy also destroys or damages the cells that help your hair grow.78 Some people report discomfort during the laser hair removal process.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Health,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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According to the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association, the restaurant was later demolished to make way for Interstate 805.—
San Diego Union-Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2025
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The roof and several walls of her modest home have been demolished, leaving Jahjouh with just one room covered with a makeshift roof.—
Tareq Al Hilou,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Harding’s career was notably marred by her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, which was plotted by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly.—
Paulina Dedaj,
Fox News,
30 Jan. 2025
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His legacy is marred by corruption, from lawsuits alleging racial discrimination to allegations of misusing public funds.—
Esteban Rodriguez,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Some of Werfel’s friends thought that this metamorphosis had ruined his literary gift.—
Alex Ross,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
3 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near deface
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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