as in staining
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smudging
Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara & Primer Duo Tarte’s Tartelette Tubing Mascara & Primer Duo is an easy win for anyone who wants long, fluttery lashes without smudging or flaking.
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Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 18 Dec. 2025
Pour a bit more over the stain after smudging, then leave it on for about 20 minutes.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
The water-resistant formula resists smudging and transferring under the eyes, without the impossible-to-remove downside of a waterproof mascara.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Always set your glasses face up on surfaces to avoid scratching or smudging the lenses.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
An extra help is lip pencil, which can be useful to outline the contour of the mouth and avoid smudging.
—Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2025
Morelo recounted hateful reactions to his art, including people smudging out and scribbling over his spots.
—Max Bacall , Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Rather than smudging black shadow under her eyes, Carpenter drew a precise line in her waterline and added a baby wing on the outer corners of her lids.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025
Picture a world dominated by paper forms—carbon copies smudging under the relentless pressure of scribbled notes—a world where dispatching felt more like a chaotic game of telephone than a streamlined operation.
—Karpagam Narayanan, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudging
Verb
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Holevich adds that cleaning these surfaces promptly will help prevent long-term staining and lingering odors.—
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Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren't wiped up right away.—
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
Verb
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
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Amazon shoppers are also going after this top-selling nonstick frying pan that’s great for eggs, chicken breasts, and other hard-to-flip foods, as well as this immersion blender that can churn soups and sauces into a creamy texture without dirtying another vessel.—
Verb
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The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.—
Cite this Entry
“Smudging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudging. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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