as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the neo-Nazis' defacing of the synagogue was condemned by the entire community
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in vandalizing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in marring
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 defacing
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 19 May 2026
No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
An inflatable effigy depicting Trump defacing the Constitution made its way through the crowd.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Mar. 2026
This exclusion protects the home warranty company from homeowners who may try to get replacements for appliances or home system components by defacing or damaging them purposefully.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Denilson Pires was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and defacing a firearm serial number.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Anyone convicted of defacing certain sensitive surfaces, such as petroglyphs or rock art, faces steeper penalties.
—Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
Assembly and free-speech rights would not protect defacing government property, such as barricades.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
The investigation into the racist defacing of the black professors’ portraits at Harvard Law School in 2015 continues into an eleventh year with no resolution and no suspects.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
Two men from Germany were arrested after being accused of defacing a pride bench in Miami Beach with antisemitic symbols on Monday.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 19 May 2026
No one in Florida had been charged with criminal mischief for defacing a traffic control device until the August arrests.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
An inflatable effigy depicting Trump defacing the Constitution made its way through the crowd.
—Nik Popli, Time, 28 Mar. 2026
This exclusion protects the home warranty company from homeowners who may try to get replacements for appliances or home system components by defacing or damaging them purposefully.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Denilson Pires was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and defacing a firearm serial number.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Anyone convicted of defacing certain sensitive surfaces, such as petroglyphs or rock art, faces steeper penalties.
—Outside, 27 Jan. 2026
Assembly and free-speech rights would not protect defacing government property, such as barricades.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defacing
Noun
-
Aside from the arson charge, Taraba was also charged with burglary and vandalism.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Rioting, fistfights, vandalism.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Hilda Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said that anyone caught vandalizing an election facility or committing other acts to interfere with the election will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Elder’s sculpture was sitting outside of Bee Hive KC over Memorial Day Weekend when a man who was visibly angry allegedly began vandalizing the honeybee, according to Elder.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Use place mats or tablecloths on your kitchen table to keep food spills, condensation from drinks, and utensils from marring or staining the surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Riverside has both a community center named for Chavez and a bronze statue — often the target of vandalization — on the Main Street pedestrian mall in the city’s downtown.—
Ryan Carter,
Daily News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Police said officers from the 116th Precinct had been alerted to the vandalization in the neighborhood and found 11 different police vehicles, both marked and unmarked, with damage.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
13 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Strikes and artillery fire were reported across Nabatieh district, destroying homes and residential buildings, according to NNA.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
One video shows a surface to air missile hitting a drone but not destroying it; the drone crashes to the ground and explodes.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Elsewhere in Times Square, officers moved in after a crowd began damaging a parked school bus, tearing off part of its hood, CNN’s Mark Morales reported.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
When guests feel misled — even unintentionally — brands pay through lower return rates, weaker relationships, greater skepticism, and damaging reviews.—
Teresa Mackintosh,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Israeli troops occupy more than 10% of Lebanese territory, leaving a trail of destruction that has seen swaths of the country’s south all but razed.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
There are those who would write her off, and perhaps her timidity before America’s facilitation of Gaza’s destruction has earned that dismissal.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, many media observers—inside and outside the network—have gone so far as to suggest that demolishing the status quo seems to be central to Weiss’s mandate.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
-
In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defacing. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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