as in stained
not clean
every copy of the book that the store had was smudged
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in blackened
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smudged
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Or, show your burning desire with Byredo’s Burning Rose Candle and a refillable lipstick set (which will be lovingly smudged by the end of the night).
—Essence, 30 Jan. 2026
The workers’ uniforms are smudged with stains earned underneath a car, wrench in hand.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The ink had smudged in a few places.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
That painting is a lot more smudged.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Despite that galaxy appearing smudged over just a handful of pixels, astronomers are still able to discern something about the supernova’s galactic environment.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Without lenses or glasses, everything looks blurry and smudged.
—Billboard Korea, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, at the Milan Fashion Week show, the star embraced an edgy aesthetic with a messy low ponytail and smudged black eyeliner with smoky navy eyeshadow.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 26 Feb. 2026
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Or, show your burning desire with Byredo’s Burning Rose Candle and a refillable lipstick set (which will be lovingly smudged by the end of the night).
—Essence, 30 Jan. 2026
The workers’ uniforms are smudged with stains earned underneath a car, wrench in hand.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The ink had smudged in a few places.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
That painting is a lot more smudged.
—Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
Despite that galaxy appearing smudged over just a handful of pixels, astronomers are still able to discern something about the supernova’s galactic environment.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025
Without lenses or glasses, everything looks blurry and smudged.
—Billboard Korea, Billboard, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudged
Adjective
-
Inside, there are 13 stained glass windows alternating in red or blue color with white limestone walls in between.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Firefighters made a hole with an axe just above the entrance to let the thick black smoke flow out and to avoid breaking the eight stained glass windows along the sides of the structure.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Grace, her white lace dress blackened with blood, is smoking a cigarette outside of an incinerated mansion that belongs to her in-laws, the Le Domas, who are all dead.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cape Canaveral is no dusty history tour.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
No amount of inner toughness would have convinced a customer to bring in a dusty rug in May 2020.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The woman was taken to the Fort Worth jail, by then best described as an old, filthy, rat-infested hole in the basement of city hall.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One woman was paying $600 per month to live in a storage shed in the muddy backyard cluttered with junk and dotted with dog poop.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The ceasefire picture is muddier than the public posturing suggests.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Customers will keep fighting back with dirty returns, unused reservations and hostile reviews.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Handout/United Hatzalah Television network Channel 12 showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky from the site.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The bathrooms are spacious and modern, with black tiles and super soft robes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smudged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudged. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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