1
as in paints
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 libels
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 smears
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!
—The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists!
—The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smears
Verb
-
The data paints a stark picture.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The league paints this as a positive that better aligns everyone.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Peel-and-stick tiles are also more susceptible to surface damage (such as scratches and stains), so consider this when choosing where to install them.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Emily Brontë’s novel is a book that stains — its emotions seep through generations, its hatreds metastasize, its love transforms into something unholy and permanent.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It’s known for its precision nylon brush—more like a flat comb than a fluffy spoolie—that thoroughly coats, lifts, and lengthens each individual lash.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The most visible sign of this decay is the toxic white foam that now coats the surface, a thick layer of sewage and industrial waste that has formed over sections of the river.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wiping unsightly white smudges on your clothes with a sheet easily solves this wardrobe malfunction.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Also on both sides, and in a few places barely visible as smudges, is the star map.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And because Epstein cultivated as many high-profile contacts as possible, that leaves a whole lot of people potentially exposed to unfounded insinuations.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
-
In a recent interview at the Charlotte Chess Center, Giannatos kept coming back to Kramnik and the effect the grandmaster’s insinuations seemed to have on Naroditsky’s psyche.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The episode officially anoints a new captain for the 118 — and sees Harry considering a life fighting fires.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Nov. 2025
-
The Swedish institution often anoints writers who metabolize their specific histories into memorable language that stretches beyond borders and governments, transcending regional particulars.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But in the end, their stories were deeper than the aspersions cast upon them.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
-
And in mid-century America, there were so many aspersions to be cast!—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smears. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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