1
as in painted
to rub an oily or sticky substance over
the toddler gleefully smeared her hair and face with maple syrup
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in libeled
to make untrue and harmful statements about
he is willing to smear his opponent if doing so would win the election
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smeared
Greenhaven had racked up years of health violations, including from letting untrained workers administer medications, lacking enough employees to care for people with dementia, and neglecting a resident who smeared feces over his body, bed, floor, and bathroom, the notice said.
—
Jordan Rau, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Many told me the liberal media had smeared them as racists, xenophobes and misogynists.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Lawyers for MacInnes have accused Wilson of hiring Melissa Nathan, the American publicist of The Agency Group, to launch websites that smeared Ghost.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
Greenhaven had racked up years of health violations, including from letting untrained workers administer medications, lacking enough employees to care for people with dementia, and neglecting a resident who smeared feces over his body, bed, floor, and bathroom, the notice said.
—Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
At the start of the short, paved trail, the green slopes appear smeared with vague suggestions of ocher and mauve.
—Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
One of the men smeared our foreheads with sandalwood paste, vermilion, and rice.
—Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
On one visit, the pizza was smeared in a creamy, garlicky white sauce with a smattering of roasted broccoli.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Clearly, the presence of sugar was no deterrent, as the dog appeared to have enthusiastically investigated the fallen bag, emerging with powdered evidence smeared across his face.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Jordan Rau, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
Many told me the liberal media had smeared them as racists, xenophobes and misogynists.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
Lawyers for MacInnes have accused Wilson of hiring Melissa Nathan, the American publicist of The Agency Group, to launch websites that smeared Ghost.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
Greenhaven had racked up years of health violations, including from letting untrained workers administer medications, lacking enough employees to care for people with dementia, and neglecting a resident who smeared feces over his body, bed, floor, and bathroom, the notice said.
—Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
At the start of the short, paved trail, the green slopes appear smeared with vague suggestions of ocher and mauve.
—Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
One of the men smeared our foreheads with sandalwood paste, vermilion, and rice.
—Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
On one visit, the pizza was smeared in a creamy, garlicky white sauce with a smattering of roasted broccoli.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Clearly, the presence of sugar was no deterrent, as the dog appeared to have enthusiastically investigated the fallen bag, emerging with powdered evidence smeared across his face.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smeared
Verb
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As the women sat on a silk fabric sofa, the wall behind them showcased a painting of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, painted by Ferdinand Richardt in 1858.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Another man, rakishly smoking a cigarette and dressed in an incongruous outfit of sweatpants and a plaid peacoat, has painted his face to resemble the Joker.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While this necklace is gold vermeil (coated), it’s designed to last a long time—just make sure not to shower with it on.—
Gina Vaynshteyn,
StyleCaster,
29 Apr. 2026
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The exterior of the ring is coated in titanium, which held up well during two weeks of testing.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This Mets team, with the second-highest MLB payroll at $369 million, had just been humiliated by a franchise that lost 119 games a year ago.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The burial ground and temple were unearthed when someone tried to build a drainage channel for a modern house; to prevent the dampness of visitors’ breath from damaging the extraordinary artworks daubed on the walls, entry is limited to 80 people per day.—
Mark Ellwood,
AFAR Media,
25 Feb. 2026
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The Place de la République in Paris was daubed in swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans last Sunday after a neo-Nazi rally, and offices of France Unbowed have been attacked.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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New Orleans has long been notorious for embracing such scoundrels, a reputation that isn’t exactly helped by the fact that, for many years, disgraced attorneys who lost their licenses in Louisiana and applied for readmission to the bar often got it.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
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Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many trainers of that era maligned Islam and backed policies that violated the rights of ordinary American Muslims in the name of counterterrorism, according to civil liberties watchdogs.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2026
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Tucci, who reprises his role as Miranda’s right-hand man Nigel Kipling, opted for Giorgio Armani, while his real life sister-in-law Blunt, who plays the oft maligned first assistant Emily Charlton, looked gorgeous in Schiaparelli spring 2026 couture.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Additional surveillance footage showed Marcelin in his building's laundry room cleaning a kitchen mat that appears stained with blood, according to prosecutors.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smeared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smeared. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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