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
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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
as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the defacement of the school's property ended up costing hundreds of dollars
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of deface
Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
Blue splatters of paint have since come to accompany the mural after it was defaced.
—Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 28 Nov. 2024
What the 37-year-old rapper is pissed about is that this billboard-sized monument to his greatness was defaced.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
The gun’s serial number was defaced, Oyegoke-Olafimihan said.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deface 
Verb
The serial numbers on the AR-15s were defaced, Williams said.
—Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 17 Sep. 2024
Blue splatters of paint have since come to accompany the mural after it was defaced.
—Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 28 Nov. 2024
What the 37-year-old rapper is pissed about is that this billboard-sized monument to his greatness was defaced.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
The gun’s serial number was defaced, Oyegoke-Olafimihan said.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
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Four of the party's Trump signs in Mt. Juliet have been vandalized and two have been stolen — one in Lebanon and one in Mt. Juliet, according to Lytle.—
Andy Humbles,
The Tennessean,
15 Oct. 2024
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In Chattogram, the premises of three temples were vandalized recently, their gates and windows smashed with rocks.—
Saif Hasnat,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The following year, three people from Nepal were injured by lightning when collecting the fungus and had to be rescued by helicopter after spending days stranded in the mountains.—
Daile Zhang,
The Conversation,
14 Jan. 2025
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Some employees were injured during an explosion Monday at a facility in Heber Springs, according to the city's fire department.—
Remington Miller,
arkansasonline.com,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Over the years, Pompeii and other sites across Italy have experienced increasingly aggressive vandalism, from the casual and careless discarding of trash to the more aggressive defacement of ancient sites.—
Erica Firpo,
AFAR Media,
31 Dec. 2024
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In a statement on Facebook, the bureau characterized the act as vandalism.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC News,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some 12,000 structures — buildings and cars — have been destroyed so far, and with them many tons of property of all levels of sentimental meaning.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Jan. 2025
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At least 25 people have so far been killed and at least 16 are missing in the wildfires, which have destroyed over 12,300 structures.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Other establishments were not damaged but remain inaccessible due to the devastation.—
Ryan Fonseca,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2025
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About 12,000 structures have been damaged of destroyed.—
David Caraccio,
Sacramento Bee,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The plan is a major change for Jackson Memorial Hospital, which would demolish two office buildings across from a Metrorail station in 2027 to make way for affordable and workforce housing in two towers filled with shops, a hotel and more than 800 apartments.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2025
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Developers purchased the Young family home for $5.8 million in February 2023, and recently demolished the 4 Burleigh Street property to build a $28.75 million residential site, consequence.net reported.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, 2017 first-round pick Malik Hooker’s time in Indianapolis was marred by a season-ending knee and Achilles injuries leading the team to decline the safety’s fifth-year option.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
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Employers stuck the landing in 2024, finishing the year with a bounce of hiring after a summer slowdown and an autumn marred by disruption.—
Lydia DePillis,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2025
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Well, Neptune and his Wildcats might just be ruining the convenient narrative.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near deface
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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