How to Use smudge in a Sentence

smudge

1 of 2 verb
  • His face was smudged with grease.
  • Don't smudge the picture with your dirty hands!
  • The ink had smudged in a few places.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 2 Jan. 2026
  • That painting is a lot more smudged.
    — Melinda Sheckells, HollywoodReporter, 19 Dec. 2025
  • Then maybe smudge that out a little.
    — David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
  • All the eye makeup, which there was a lot of, was smudged.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Once your stamps are ready, just smudge some blobs of paint on a plate and dip away!
    — Heather Arndt Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 12 Feb. 2020
  • Paint a picture then slash it, or smudge it or shoot it with a gun.
    — Washington Post, 7 July 2021
  • The creamy black glides on with ease and doesn't smudge, feather, or fade.
    — Allure Editors, Allure, 13 Sep. 2022
  • The fibers in shirts and jackets will further smudge the glass.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The fibers in shirts and jackets will further smudge the glass.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Wearing bright red lipstick that didn’t smudge all over a face mask.
    — Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2020
  • And still Robinson sat, a blank look on a face smudged with eye black.
    — Colleen Kane, chicagotribune.com, 3 Nov. 2019
  • Even on a summer day, the stuff didn't smudge or give me raccoon eyes.
    — Karina Hoshikawa, refinery29.com, 18 June 2021
  • Drink from the same place on the glass every time so the entire rim isn’t smudged.
    — Sarah Solomon, Town & Country, 28 July 2017
  • And, for the love of god, the ink better not bleed or smudge until the end of the day.
    — Chloe Metzger, Marie Claire, 25 May 2018
  • Dim sunlight smudges skies for only a few hours in the depth of winter.
    — Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Remove skewers and smudge over the holes with your finger to smooth the tops.
    — Lisa Ruland, Bon Appétit, 12 Feb. 2021
  • Apply and let dry for a clean line, or apply and smudge (while still wet) for a messier look.
    — Sophie Wirt, Allure, 31 Aug. 2017
  • There were gas stations every few blocks, and the sky was smudged with brown exhaust.
    — Christine Smallwood, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2020
  • The group has yet to achieve a distinctive sound, and some of the passage work is smudged.
    — David Patrick Stearns, Philly.com, 14 Sep. 2017
  • Stick with finger foods that do not require utensils and will not smudge cards or game boards.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026
  • Just pop some clear gloss on your eyelids, apply a pink lippie and then smudge the gloss on your lips.
    — Seventeen Editors, Seventeen, 19 Jan. 2023
  • In one photo, Bronze looks shocked as his mom snaps his photo, cake smudged across his cheeks.
    — Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023
  • Globs of polish just means longer drying time and a higher risk for smudging.
    — Janell M. Hickman, SELF, 29 June 2018
  • In one photo, Bronze looked shocked as his mom snapped his photo, cake smudged across his cheeks.
    — Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 17 Jan. 2024
  • Our tablecloth was smudged; so were the murals of old Aleppo on the walls.
    — Vivian Yee, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2019
  • Once applied, tap in gently with your ring finger to lightly smudge the edges.
    — Georgia Day, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Smudge some on a piece of white printer paper and hold it up to something blue and something red.
    — Alexandra Samuel, SELF, 1 July 2017
  • Then smudge it out with a medium shading brush; doing the same on your bottom lash line, too.
    — Julianne Carell, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2017

smudge

2 of 2 noun
  • His hand left a grimy smudge on the wall.
  • There are no smudges on the glass.
    — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
  • No streaks, no smudges, no stress.
    — Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Wipe any smudges and spots from the base, too.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This will help buff it in and prevent streaks and smudges.
    — Deanna Pai, Glamour, 6 June 2026
  • The mark on her cheek is blurry and soft, like a smudge of dirt.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2023
  • On the shed was what appeared to be a palm-sized smudge of blood.
    — Angie Dimichele, sun-sentinel.com, 4 Nov. 2021
  • How chapped would his lips have to be to take a smudge of it from her mouthy tube?
    — Sarah Braunstei, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2021
  • Some clouds seemed not much more than gray smudges against the season’s haze.
    — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2023
  • Bring along a notebook and smudge-proof pen to jot down ideas along the way.
    — Kaitlyn McInnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 July 2022
  • The first startling image is a red paint smudge over black ink.
    — Armond White, National Review, 29 Sep. 2023
  • Then came the first image, a bright, blurry smudge.
    — Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Wipe across the screen to remove dirt, spatters, and smudges.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
  • But glass doesn't do a good job of hiding dust, finger prints, and smudges.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025
  • But glass doesn't do a good job of hiding dust, finger prints, and smudges.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025
  • No more smudges, no more waiting, just swipe, draw, and create like a pro.
    — PC Magazine, 19 Nov. 2025
  • The five shades are long-wearing, smudge-free and last for up to 12 hours.
    — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 17 May 2021
  • Anyone in the Olympic bubble have some sage and a smudge pot?
    — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2022
  • Your nails will be completely dry and quite chip- and smudge-proof for the next few weeks.
    — Madison Yauger, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
  • And nothing ages one like smudges, smears, and scuff marks all over the walls and baseboards.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Under dark skies, it can even be spotted with the naked eye as a faint smudge of light.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 15 May 2026
  • The brand also claims the pencil is smudge-proof and long-wearing.
    — Jessica Kasparian, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2020
  • For the British Crown, such frontiers were smudges on the edge of the map.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Damp cloths are good for cleaning smudge marks, grease, and visible grime.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Ever seen anyone breathe on their glasses and then wipe off the smudges and spots with a cloth?
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and smudges.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Cover the stain in a thin layer of the powder and smudge into the stain.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
  • After an hour, my cactus resembled a fat green hand, the pot a big blue smudge.
    — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
  • There was the tail-spot that Jack saw earlier, a charcoal smudge.
    — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, 27 May 2020
  • This waterproof and smudge-proof gel is infused with hair-like fibers to fill the brow in for a full look.
    — Tatjana Freund, ELLE, 8 Dec. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smudge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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