1
as in to paint
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
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2
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about
he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in slander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smear
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2024
Yet before those convoys even made their way to the capital, Trudeau, his ministers, and their contacts in the media, were conspiring to smear the protesters as violent extremists bent on bringing a January 6 north to Canada.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Adam Burke, NPR, 9 Dec. 2024
Elon Musk’s social media app X is supercharging the spread of voter-fraud conspiracy theories with the help of artificial intelligence, boosting unfounded claims including two personal smears against Vice President Kamala Harris.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smear 
Verb
Warm coco bread is ready to be smeared with sweet malted sorghum butter.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2024
Yet before those convoys even made their way to the capital, Trudeau, his ministers, and their contacts in the media, were conspiring to smear the protesters as violent extremists bent on bringing a January 6 north to Canada.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
In the third frame, the figure is slumped down, with a red smear on the wall behind him.
—Adam Burke, NPR, 9 Dec. 2024
Elon Musk’s social media app X is supercharging the spread of voter-fraud conspiracy theories with the help of artificial intelligence, boosting unfounded claims including two personal smears against Vice President Kamala Harris.
—David Ingram, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smear
Verb
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But, while insightful, these artifacts don’t always paint a complete picture of an ancient creature’s diet or behavior.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Jan. 2025
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The evidence, however, reveals a very different picture than the violent world Trump has painted for his audiences.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Wright got so big on social media even Piers Morgan invited her to libel Jay Z and Beyonce on his platform.—
Rob Marriott,
VIBE.com,
30 Dec. 2024
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Though he was not named in the ad, Mr. Sullivan asserted he had been personally libeled by The Times and four Black ministers who were signed to the ad.—
David W. Dunlap,
New York Times,
22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In the News Paul Prine, former police chief of Mobile, Ala., filed a lawsuit against the town mayor, a local prosecutor and other officials for slander and libel while claiming that a city report revealing accusations of excessive force by officers had deliberately ruined his reputation.—
Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports,
arkansasonline.com,
30 Dec. 2024
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In an interview with The Times, Cabello lightly addressed Drake and Lamar’s contention, defending Drake against the public slander that has followed him for the last few months.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
28 June 2024
Noun
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Allow it to air-dry and repeat until the stain is gone.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 Jan. 2025
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The dining table, dotted with water stains, remained.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Choose plain raisins: Raisins coated in chocolate, yogurt, or other flavorings contain significantly more calories and sugar than plain raisins.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
15 Jan. 2025
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As Southern California continues to grapple with devastating wildfires, remnants of a massive winter storm will coat regions across the Mid-Atlantic with more snow before exiting Saturday morning.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA TODAY,
11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Beyond her work as a lobbyist, Bondi solidified her reputation as a Trump loyalist by defending him on the floor of the Senate during his first impeachment and helping his efforts to discredit the 2020 election results.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
15 Jan. 2025
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The AfD has strongly rejected the designation, portraying it as a political attempt to discredit the party.—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The book ends up a fleet, au courant Gothic thriller, complete with deepfake conspiracies and class commentary and lesbian innuendo.—
Joumana Khatib,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
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Editor’s picks The game is well known for its innuendo and references.—
Justin Koreis,
Rolling Stone,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The fingerprint stainless steel model resists smudges and fingerprints.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes,
18 Dec. 2024
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The five smudge shades are named after punk music culture.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near smear
Cite this Entry
“Smear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smear. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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