as in vandalism
deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property
the neo-Nazis' defacing of the synagogue was condemned by the entire community
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in vandalizing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in marring
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defacing
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
The lyrics have the same anesthetized ennui as in emo rap and the new wave of online rock, but the beats are menacingly new and dead-set on defacing your consciousness.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the people defacing Friend’s advertisements are expressing a much larger, inchoate rage at the broader AI industry, not just these plastic pendants that practically nobody owns.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
If a student or college employee is found defacing or otherwise vandalizing the commemoration, the bill requires the institution to expel or fire them.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
In 2010, a man was sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined $10,000 for intentionally defacing carvings at Lake Mead, according to the city.
—Hannah Dreyfus, AZCentral.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
The investigation into the racist defacing of the black professors’ portraits at Harvard Law School in 2015 continues into an eleventh year with no resolution and no suspects.
—Verb
Nunez-Romano was also charged with possessing a firearm without a firearm identification card and defacing the serial number of a firearm.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for defacing
Noun
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Police later issued a dispersal order, citing vandalism.—
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Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
Verb
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Man accused of vandalizing Vance's home ID'd as criminal history is revealed.—
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Saturday to talk to the man about allegedly vandalizing cars, Irvine police spokesman Kyle Oldoerp said.—
Verb
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Including playoffs, Mayfield turned the ball over more than anyone else from 2023 through 2024, marring an otherwise fantastic two seasons in Tampa Bay.—
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An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
Noun
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Some city governments gave up on Columbus statues after multiple rounds of vandalization and decided to remove them, like in New Haven, Connecticut.—
Verb
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By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.—
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And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.—
Verb
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One person was taken into custody after a fire ripped through a synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson.—
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Freezing foods quickly helps preserve texture by preventing large ice crystals from damaging delicate cell walls.—
Noun
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Since the boycott, PEN has donated to Palestinian aid organizations, highlighted writers and journalists who have been targeted and killed by Israel, and released a report on the deliberate destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage.—
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Consumers and retailers should destroy affected products and not return them, as Gold Star will issue refunds with proof of destruction.—
Verb
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The move came after the Office of County Administration released December cost estimates for demolishing the building and renovating it.—
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Fully reopening Leetsdale Drive is contingent on demolishing parts of the charred apartment complex that are still standing, Murphy said.—
Cite this Entry
“Defacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defacing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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