as in to stain
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the president's spouse must not have the slightest smudge of scandal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smudge
Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
And with waterproof liner options that refuse to smudge on even the most teary-eyed of makeup wearers, this lineup proves its staying power.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
Except for a smudge of an airport, a small general store, and a school, there’s nothing in Kulusuk but wilderness stretching in every direction.
—Chloe Berge, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Verb
Where do the ashes smudged on worshipers' foreheads come from?
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
And with waterproof liner options that refuse to smudge on even the most teary-eyed of makeup wearers, this lineup proves its staying power.
—Siena Gagliano, Allure, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
The point is to not be precise, as the result should be imperfect with soft-focus smudges.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2025
Except for a smudge of an airport, a small general store, and a school, there’s nothing in Kulusuk but wilderness stretching in every direction.
—Chloe Berge, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudge
Verb
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Its players are turncoats whose legacies are forever stained.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2025
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Be careful and don’t use it every wash because these products can stain your hair with a pink or lavender tint.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Catholicism offers ritual without the tedium of rationality; anarchism offers revolutionary action against inequality without the taint of materialism, the prospect of personal gain.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
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Driving the news: Researchers from Oregon State sent a bunch of Oregon pinot — some with smoke taint, some smoke-free — over to New Zealand for a taste test.—
Kale Williams,
Axios,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
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Instead of dirtying a larger pot for your supporting dishes, this quaint cooker will come in handy for quick (or slower simmering) concoctions while matching your kitchen atmosphere.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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People have long claimed to see images in those drip paintings, but the phenomenon is usually dismissed by art critics as a trick of human perception, much like the fractal edges of Rorschach ink blots can fool the eye and mind.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
28 Feb. 2025
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Even in victory, there had to be a blot in the Leeds copybook.—
Beren Cross,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Unlike a total solar eclipse, when the disk of the sun is completely blackened, an eclipsed moon does not vanish completely from the sky.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Mar. 2025
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But the negro resents and utterly repudiates the effort to blacken his good name by asserting that assaults upon women are peculiar to his race.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudge. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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