as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the neo-Nazis' defacing of the synagogue was condemned by the entire community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in vandalizing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in marring
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 defacing
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
Assembly and free-speech rights would not protect defacing government property, such as barricades.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 27 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
The lyrics have the same anesthetized ennui as in emo rap and the new wave of online rock, but the beats are menacingly new and dead-set on defacing your consciousness.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the people defacing Friend’s advertisements are expressing a much larger, inchoate rage at the broader AI industry, not just these plastic pendants that practically nobody owns.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
If a student or college employee is found defacing or otherwise vandalizing the commemoration, the bill requires the institution to expel or fire them.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
The investigation into the racist defacing of the black professors’ portraits at Harvard Law School in 2015 continues into an eleventh year with no resolution and no suspects.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
Anyone convicted of defacing certain sensitive surfaces, such as petroglyphs or rock art, faces steeper penalties.
—Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
Assembly and free-speech rights would not protect defacing government property, such as barricades.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 27 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
The lyrics have the same anesthetized ennui as in emo rap and the new wave of online rock, but the beats are menacingly new and dead-set on defacing your consciousness.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the people defacing Friend’s advertisements are expressing a much larger, inchoate rage at the broader AI industry, not just these plastic pendants that practically nobody owns.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
If a student or college employee is found defacing or otherwise vandalizing the commemoration, the bill requires the institution to expel or fire them.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defacing
Noun
-
Groft on Wednesday pleaded no contest to nine felony counts of vandalism and two misdemeanor vandalism charges.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Burglary numbers are down, as are vandalism.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At least four suspects were detained for vandalizing property in the area and will be charged with felony vandalism, according to the LAPD.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In November, a woman was caught and charged with a felony for vandalizing ancient petroglyphs near Moab.—
Outside,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Including playoffs, Mayfield turned the ball over more than anyone else from 2023 through 2024, marring an otherwise fantastic two seasons in Tampa Bay.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Police said officers from the 116th Precinct had been alerted to the vandalization in the neighborhood and found 11 different police vehicles, both marked and unmarked, with damage.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
13 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But when the other side is destroying it, there are worse things to be than the alternative.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The European Union is moving forward with its ban on destroying unsold clothing, footwear and accessories.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The best way to avoid damaging your curls is to create an anchor point for your veil to adhere to.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Lajčák stepped down to avoid damaging his ally, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, but denies any material wrongdoing.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Though once vital to the economy of the American territory, Puerto Rico’s sugar plantations evolved to represent the destruction and exploitation of colonialism that continues to impact the region today—a detail not lost on those cast as grass.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The project calls for demolishing a 1949 single-family home and building a 2,500-square-foot contemporary building to be used as a Jewish ritual pool for women for spiritual purification.—
Lauren Costantino
February 11,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defacing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
