as in defects
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the scars left by carelessly scratching the car door with one's keys
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cliffs
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice
at the next bend in the river, a scar of red sandstone steeply rises to over 100 feet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scars
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Five years ago this week, Texas was in the grip of a catastrophe that reshaped the state’s energy policy, exposed vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and left lasting scars on millions of residents.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026
Think noticeable results minus knives, scars or weeks of recovery — ideal as a highly tolerable refresh, especially during award season.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Instagram filters that promote plastic surgery, such as adding the appearance of facial scars in common procedure areas, were banned, Mosseri said.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Emma, 27, who works in retail and has scars from childhood surgeries that removed a potentially cancerous birthmark, takes some time to open up.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Angelina Jolie is grateful for the scars left behind by her double mastectomy.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
There will be plenty of emotional scars to work through, not to mention a considerably tougher schedule in 2026.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The sudden carnage has been profound, leaving pain and scars.
—Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
Debris flows are possible on burn scars.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Five years ago this week, Texas was in the grip of a catastrophe that reshaped the state’s energy policy, exposed vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and left lasting scars on millions of residents.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026
Think noticeable results minus knives, scars or weeks of recovery — ideal as a highly tolerable refresh, especially during award season.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Instagram filters that promote plastic surgery, such as adding the appearance of facial scars in common procedure areas, were banned, Mosseri said.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Emma, 27, who works in retail and has scars from childhood surgeries that removed a potentially cancerous birthmark, takes some time to open up.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Angelina Jolie is grateful for the scars left behind by her double mastectomy.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
There will be plenty of emotional scars to work through, not to mention a considerably tougher schedule in 2026.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The sudden carnage has been profound, leaving pain and scars.
—Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scars
Verb
-
What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Under her watch, Americans have been murdered in cold blood, DHS has obstructed lawful congressional oversight, dismissed credible reports of abuse, carried out an extreme agenda that tears families apart and destabilizes communities.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Catherine uplifted us in a world that often tears us down.—
Andrew Gelwicks,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The front lid appears to be barely hanging on by a thread, with cuts and gashes throughout.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Heupel spreads out his receivers in an attempt to spread out the defense, then gashes them with the run.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scars. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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