as in to stain
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the president's spouse must not have the slightest smudge of scandal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smudge
Julia Gomez, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Dripping glitter, shimmering adhesive crystals, dramatic slashes of eyeliner and smudges of eyeshadow—there was a playful, shifting experimentalism here, to signal the young characters’ changeability and ingenuity.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Verb
Many Catholics will attend a mass where the priests will smudge ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Then move on to large appliance fronts—specifically, those stainless steel fridges and ovens that are easily smudged.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
Wiping unsightly white smudges on your clothes with a sheet easily solves this wardrobe malfunction.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Dripping glitter, shimmering adhesive crystals, dramatic slashes of eyeliner and smudges of eyeshadow—there was a playful, shifting experimentalism here, to signal the young characters’ changeability and ingenuity.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudge
Verb
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On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Customize it by painting the wood a fun color or staining it for a rustic look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a purity here, the course free from the taint of bureaucracy governing so much of the academy.—
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
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So long-reaching was the taint of that shame, Kentucky’s Bill Spivey died in Costa Rica, a practical exile after he not only was run out of the college game, he was banned from the NBA, too.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Spot Clean Stains For sweat stains, urine or spills, blot the area with a clean cloth and a mild cleaning solution.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
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The broad scenario is one in which Iran is, at best, a minor blot in the rearview mirror as America’s interests move elsewhere.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Loss of valuables in the ruins The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudge. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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