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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deface
Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 1 May 2025
As protests against Elon Musk's Tesla brand are sweeping the United States, one California man's sense of security is left shaken after a masked suspect was caught on camera defacing his family’s Tesla Cybertruck in the driveway of their home last weekend.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
The Memphis Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that Zachary Liberto, 30, was arrested following a verbal altercation with the priest about defacing the baptismal pool inside the church.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
That same day vandals broke windows and defaced a dealership in the San Diego area with swastikas and slogans.
—Minho Kim, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deface
Verb
Police also discovered that the children slept in cribs and defaced monsters and dolls were also found in their rooms, per El Mundo.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 1 May 2025
As protests against Elon Musk's Tesla brand are sweeping the United States, one California man's sense of security is left shaken after a masked suspect was caught on camera defacing his family’s Tesla Cybertruck in the driveway of their home last weekend.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025
The Memphis Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that Zachary Liberto, 30, was arrested following a verbal altercation with the priest about defacing the baptismal pool inside the church.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
That same day vandals broke windows and defaced a dealership in the San Diego area with swastikas and slogans.
—Minho Kim, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface
Verb
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If people couldn’t pay the crippling fines for excess births—up to many times a family’s annual income—officials would vandalize their homes, knocking down roofs and doors, and confiscate furniture, cattle, and pigs.—
Barbara Demick,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
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Nazis set fire to synagogues — including the one attended by Lowell and her family — and vandalized thousands of Jewish homes and businesses, igniting a wave of violence that killed nearly 100 Jews and led to the arrests and deportations of thousands more.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2025
Verb
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At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in the attacks.—
Jackie Northam,
NPR,
26 May 2025
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The woman also was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to a hospital by ambulance.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 May 2025
Noun
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For example, Tesla shares increased in value after Trump’s election last year before decreasing drastically early in the president’s administration amid boycotts and vandalism.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
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Residents and city officials have raised concerns that the reopening of the 11-mile stretch of PCH on May 23 will make neighborhoods that were damaged or destroyed by the Franklin and Palisades fires more vulnerable to theft and vandalism.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
Verb
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During the week of my embed, the Russian military identified and destroyed a few of the Vampire pilots’ positions.—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2025
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea from a group of Native American activists and supporters to block a copper mining company from destroying an Apache religious site.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 May 2025
Verb
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No one was hurt but the Toyota 4Runner the men were inside and another vehicle were damaged.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The fire began on the third floor, severely damaging the entire level, while water damage affected the floors below.—
Samantha Moilanen,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Facing greater competition and sensing more opportunity, the owners decided to close the hotel at the end of May and demolish the building next year.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
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Its current office building in the area would be demolished.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2025
Verb
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However, relatively decent growth fueled by Putin's record military spending has been marred by inflation and a worker shortage impacted by those fleeing the draft and troop losses in Ukraine as experts warn of longer terms problems for the economy.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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Albania, which has started full membership negotiations with the European Union, has been plagued in its post-communist era with corruption that has marred its democratic, economic and social development.—
Llazar Semini,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
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There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
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The situation took a turn when Amy accidentally ruined her earbuds in the wash.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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