as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
besmeared the napkin with jelly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besmear
Verb
-
Participants spill into streets, courtyards and public squares covered head to toe in pigment, and strangers smear color on one another as a greeting.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026 -
The dog couldn’t go in her room so soon after her transplant, so Aspen dabbed colors on a small canvas and handed it to Scott, who put it in a plastic bag and smeared peanut butter on top.—
Laura Ungar,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
For years, radical climate activists have painted a bleak view of the future.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
-
As readers are now no doubt aware, the 2026 regulations have painted the sport into a bit of a corner.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Besmear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmear. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
