1
as in to paint
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in slander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of smear
Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2025
Players must be honest or risk having their reputation smeared during gossip hour after the game.
—Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
Mark Davis, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
These images can feed into AI systems that analyze blood smears or detect cellular anomalies.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smear
Verb
Hot tip: Don’t smear or drag—simply patting your concealer in will keep it from caking and creasing.
—Petra Guglielmetti, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2025
Players must be honest or risk having their reputation smeared during gossip hour after the game.
—Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
Reagan was met with pushback from his era's media culture, but Trump and his supporters have endured a decade of smears and muzzles unlike any in American history.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
These images can feed into AI systems that analyze blood smears or detect cellular anomalies.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smear
Verb
-
Include a beginner's guide to painting to encourage new techniques.—
Jené Luciani Sena,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
In addition, fans are excited to pick up official miniatures to paint and portray desperate battles between humans and Xenomorphs on the table top.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.—
George Pendle,
airmail.news,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Please ask your daughter to stop libeling Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The plaintiff is suing for libel, slander, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, portraying him in a false light and negligence.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Did Senate Majority Leader John Thune defend his colleague in the face of the president’s slander?—
Bret Stephens,
The Mercury News,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
One shopper even spilled cranberry juice on theirs with no residual stains.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
-
In the names of Jackie Robinson and the O’Malley family, don’t put a stain on one of the greatest Dodgers championships ever.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Not to mention, it’s also constructed with durable stoneware and coated in a nonporous enamel glaze that is stain- and scratch-resistant, too.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2025
-
How to Preserve Flowers with Beeswax The hack itself is simple—just melt some beeswax into a bowl or jar, grab a single flower of your choice, and dip it straight in until it's fully coated.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
His tariffs were not based on the import taxes charged by other countries but by the size of each trade deficit, a calculation that instantly discredited the policy with many economists and investors.—
Time,
Time,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Bolsonaro’s efforts to discredit the election had already found allies abroad.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After a week of rumour and innuendo, Sunday saw Juventus name Igor Tudor as their Coach until the end of the season in a move that has echoes of Antonio Conte’s appointment back in 2011.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
How about some trumpet innuendo instead?—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The only smudge on an otherwise record-setting year came when the confetti fell at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh and Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., as the Toros watched their opponents celebrated winning NCAA Division II national titles.—
Anthony De Leon,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Non-shiny finishes are also less likely to show fingerprints and oily smudges that are so common in a busy space like the kitchen.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smear. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share