1
as in to vandalize
to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property
the principal vowed to get the punks who defaced the statue in front of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deface
Sohail faces federal charges of intentionally defacing or damaging religious real property, which carries a maximum three years behind bars.
—
John Annese, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
This was not one website defaced for headlines.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
And in the late 1980s, after Little Saigon found official recognition, freeway and street signs directing people to the community were frequently defaced and destroyed in disapproval, Hua said.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
As restoration work gets underway on an East Side mural defaced with spray paint, organizers say the vandalism has only motivated them to stand up stronger for victims of police violence.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deface
John Annese, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2026
This was not one website defaced for headlines.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
And in the late 1980s, after Little Saigon found official recognition, freeway and street signs directing people to the community were frequently defaced and destroyed in disapproval, Hua said.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
As restoration work gets underway on an East Side mural defaced with spray paint, organizers say the vandalism has only motivated them to stand up stronger for victims of police violence.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
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The church's pastor was unavailable Thursday, but said in a statement the Diocese of Brooklyn said the 100-year-old statue has been vandalized three times in the past five months and cannot be fixed this time.—
Kristie Keleshian,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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The venue where the show was recorded was vandalized, and audience members were reportedly served legal notices and asked to record statements.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That night, Kane was injured, and Carsley tried to pick the boldest, most talented team possible, with Jude Bellingham nominally up front, and Foden, Palmer, Gordon and Bukayo Saka in, too.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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The conditions for the three people injured in the shooting wasn't immediately available.—
Siafa Lewis,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Later, a fire at Hall’s grandmother’s house would destroy most of his magic act.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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This time around, in that first wave of strikes on February 28, American cruise missiles targeted and destroyed a building that ended up being a girls’ school—killing more than 168 young children who had just started their day of classes.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a social media post on Monday morning, Kuwait said a service building at a power generation and water desalination plant were damaged in an attack Sunday evening, killing one worker.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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At least 12 residents have been displaced after a three-alarm fire heavily damaged five homes in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The beach patrol headquarters is in danger of collapsing and will be demolished this weekend.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The library, which blocked a view of the water for 30 years, was demolished, moved several blocks west as part of a new cultural center.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mexico's government has said that the official registry of disappeared is an overcount, often marred by faulty data from local prosecutor's offices and cases of people being reported missing two or three times.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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But his first year in Philly was marred by knee and adductor injuries that resulted in the forward having one of the worst years of his NBA career.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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Accused of ruining baseball with their big-spending ways the past two years, the noise has only gotten louder as a labor showdown looms.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iranian missile attacks this month crippled a key industrial center in Qatar, which produces about one-third of the world’s helium.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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By the mid-1980s, both sides were targeting oil shipments to cripple each other’s economies.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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