1
as in painted
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in libeled
to make untrue and harmful statements about
he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smeared
Tears and lemonade are spilled; mud and cake get smeared into the rug; confetti balloons are popped one by one, showering elated children in rainbow-paper flakes.
—
Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
His nose is smeared with a white strip of sun cream.
—Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Their clothes are smeared with mud, symbolizing the earthy, devotional spirit of the journey.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Elliot has a bloody nose, a mouth smeared with lipstick and is wearing a frilly pink bra and pants.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Poussin, smeared with garlic, sumac and red pepper paste, was unappealingly mealy.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Cofounder says he was smeared after quitting.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
León was clothed, his garments smeared with Rivera’s blood.
—Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
The bread is fluffy, with pesto smeared throughout the inside and outside and melted cheese on top.
—Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
His nose is smeared with a white strip of sun cream.
—Molly Aitken, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Their clothes are smeared with mud, symbolizing the earthy, devotional spirit of the journey.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Elliot has a bloody nose, a mouth smeared with lipstick and is wearing a frilly pink bra and pants.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Poussin, smeared with garlic, sumac and red pepper paste, was unappealingly mealy.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Cofounder says he was smeared after quitting.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
León was clothed, his garments smeared with Rivera’s blood.
—Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2026
The bread is fluffy, with pesto smeared throughout the inside and outside and melted cheese on top.
—Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smeared
Verb
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In solidarity, Celta’s players and fans painted their nails en masse for a subsequent clash with Rayo Vallecano.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Her nails, too, were on-theme, filed into a square shape and painted with a true, glossy onyx black shade.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fresh white paint coated the bricks of what was once a small red-brick church where Qualls met his first wife.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Stir in Greek seasoning, thyme, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic powder; cook, stirring constantly, until beef is coated and fragrant, about 1 minute.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Days after the segment was recorded, Schmitz shot Amedure to death, then confessed to the murder, saying he'd been humiliated on national TV.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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During the flight, she’s thoroughly humiliated when someone finds her audition tape for Survivor and displays it on his laptop for all to enjoy.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ryvchin, whose former home was daubed with antisemitic language and cars were set alight earlier this year, said both Australia’s federal government and provincial leaders in the state of New South Wales had failed to act on proposals to curb antisemitic violence.—
Katie Silver,
NBC news,
25 Dec. 2025
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The walls at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami are daubed with rosy-red pigment from the Cochineal, a cactus-dwelling insect her mother would harvest and sell in her hometown of Ayacucho, Peru.—
Douglas Markowitz,
Miami Herald,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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More Epstein fallout At least six more co-conspirators may be in a trove of documents related to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to two House members who've pushed for their release.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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Johnson’s Law Department settled 176 wrongful conviction cases involving disgraced former police Sgt.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
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Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Is Spider-Man 3 fairly or unfairly maligned?—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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Texas has been maligned for its lack of bench production this season, but Lassina Traore, Chendall Weaver and Simeon Wilcher have all been on the court during this decisive late run.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gooday explained that red hone is blue hone that has been stained by iron materials.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Classic raised garden beds made of wood and stained to protect them from the elements are a good way to pack a lot of plants into a small space.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smeared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smeared. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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