as in defects
something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing
the first mirror had a blemish on its surface, so we took it back to the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stains
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
a scratch blemished the finish on the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blemishes
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Dunk’s blemishes against Liverpool were compounded by an unfortunate yellow card for time wasting in the closing stages when referee Darren England decided too long had been taken with Verbruggen over a goal kick.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Touching up selfies to fix blemishes and change your look has been an option for decades, but new tools within Google Photos may make those edits faster and easier to control on mobile.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Second stage problems are responsible for the only blemishes in SpaceX’s near-perfect reliability record with the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
Looks vibrant in color and has no large blemishes or scratches.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Dark or too strong nail polishes can sometimes highlight blemishes, veins, or expression lines.
—Andrea Carbajal, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026
Rocker still has considerable upside despite those blemishes, and with only 159 2/3 total professional innings under his belt, the 26-year-old is far from a finished product.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
On earlier test loops around Portugal, some tarmac blemishes were noted.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
Fans of the Bulls will undoubtedly recognize a climactic moment in Running Point season two, but another subplot involving Waves’ captain, Marcus Winfield, and rising star, Dyson Gibbs, was surprisingly not inspired by one of the few blemishes of the Bulls’ 1990s dynasty.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
Dunk’s blemishes against Liverpool were compounded by an unfortunate yellow card for time wasting in the closing stages when referee Darren England decided too long had been taken with Verbruggen over a goal kick.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Touching up selfies to fix blemishes and change your look has been an option for decades, but new tools within Google Photos may make those edits faster and easier to control on mobile.
—James Peckham, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Second stage problems are responsible for the only blemishes in SpaceX’s near-perfect reliability record with the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Apr. 2026
Looks vibrant in color and has no large blemishes or scratches.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026
Dark or too strong nail polishes can sometimes highlight blemishes, veins, or expression lines.
—Andrea Carbajal, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026
Rocker still has considerable upside despite those blemishes, and with only 159 2/3 total professional innings under his belt, the 26-year-old is far from a finished product.
—Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
On earlier test loops around Portugal, some tarmac blemishes were noted.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blemishes
Noun
-
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated multiple investigations into possible safety defects with Tesla's FSD, after several collisions, including a fatal 2023 crash.—
Robert Ferris,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
-
She was born with multiple complex heart defects.—
Erin Jones,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mercury damages the nervous system.—
Anton L. Delgado,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Antisemitism weakens trust, corrodes pluralism and damages the social fabric on which diverse communities depend.—
Laurence Milstein,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The pain is much deeper than the scars.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
In some places, the scars haven’t healed.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sarcasm taints the question but doesn’t invalidate it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This was a black one with blotches faintly outlined in pale yellow, a beautiful but deadly looking animal.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The eggs vary in color—from white to blue to brown—with speckles, blotches, and other markings and are also distinctive in shape.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Pushing too much hostility between team members or pushing Anthony too hard to be the peacekeeper could easily create an ugly atmosphere that spoils the vibe.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Frozen fruit keeps it affordable year-round and nothing spoils mid-week.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blemishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemishes. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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