as in defect
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the Johnsons complained to the movers about broken dishes and mars on the furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
mar a politician's reputation with scurrilous rumors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to injure
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the once glossy surface is now marred by numerous small pits and abrasions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mar
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2025
There was an incident that marred the occasion — two women were shot and taken to the hospital.
—Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
Moldy tomatoes, clean dishes or utensils stored in dirty areas, and use of a metal brush not designed for food as a baster marred three Miami restaurants’ state inspections, each with at least 30 violations.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
Audio issues occasionally marred the broadcast, including brief interruptions of Fonda’s speech.
—Jake Coyle, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mar
Verb
The loss marred a seven-goal performance by Penn senior midfielder Anna Brandt.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2025
There was an incident that marred the occasion — two women were shot and taken to the hospital.
—Brooks Kubena, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
Moldy tomatoes, clean dishes or utensils stored in dirty areas, and use of a metal brush not designed for food as a baster marred three Miami restaurants’ state inspections, each with at least 30 violations.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
Audio issues occasionally marred the broadcast, including brief interruptions of Fonda’s speech.
—Jake Coyle, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mar
Noun
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The children all had a variety of birth defects, including missing or underdeveloped fingers, clubbed feet, heart defects, eye problems and skin conditions, per The Times.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Today, a fetus diagnosed with a complex heart defect can receive care that grants them a future once thought impossible.—
Jack Rychik and Craig Fleishman,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Every foreign contract that U.S. companies get will now be tainted by questions of bribery.—
Richard Nephew,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Feb. 2025
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Bove asserted that the case needs to be set aside for now for two reasons: It was tainted by politics and the prosecution interferes with Adams’ ability to be mayor.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And in February, a driver plowed into a protest group in Munich injuring at least 28 people.—
Rachel McRady,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
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In addition to the two people killed, 10 people were injured, five seriously, Mannheim police said in a statement.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Many of the selections underscore the social stresses and inequalities of the growing metropolis, the scars left by the harsh military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1976 to 1983, and the human costs of Argentina’s recurrent economic crises.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
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Older Brazilians carry the scars, in many cases literal ones, of their fight against dictatorship.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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Moon dust plagued astronauts and spacecraft during NASA’s Apollo program in the mid-20th century, as the fine and abrasive material damaged camera lenses and visors, according to NASA.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
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Displays of authenticity, executed improperly, can damage reputations and even derail careers.—
Harrison Monarth,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Brighter yellow and golden blotches run along its forehead, sides and lower back.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
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The resulting arrangement made the cheese clumps stand out as dark blotches in the photographs taken with an iPhone mounted on a tripod.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Basically, color bleeding is when the dye of clothes seeps into the water during a wash cycles and stains other clothes in the load.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
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Headless mannequins wearing the shirts of Marlon, William and Matheus Pereira — stained in red to resemble blood — were hung days after Cruzeiro’s penalty defeat to America MG in the Campeonato Mineiro semi-finals.—
Colin Millar,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mar. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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