defaced 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in disfigured

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2
as in mutilated

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defaced

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deface
1
as in vandalized
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

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2
as in damaged
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defaced
Verb
That was the last time the sign was defaced. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 12 June 2026 But then on Christmas Day of that year, Roonstrasse was defaced with antisemitic graffiti. — Daniela R. P. Weiner, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026 No patriots so defaced America as those who, in the name of Americanism, launched a witch hunt that became a byword around the world. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 But his image had been defaced with black permanent marker, giving him an impressive handlebar mustache and large glasses with what appears to be eyelashes growing out from them. — Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 At least three campaign signs for Sacramento City Council candidate Jenn Chawla were defaced with racist slurs over the weekend. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026 The cemetery, created in 1859, was abandoned and defaced before becoming the property of the county in 1967. — Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 4 June 2026 In Australia, synagogues were firebombed, cars torched and Jewish community buildings defaced – the types of attacks recently seen in the United Kingdom that have prompted calls for a crackdown on antisemitism. — Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026 One very analog cost robotics companies are now dealing with as their products proliferate in the wild is repair fees for robots who have been kicked, ridden on, or otherwise defaced, Serve Robotics CEO Ali Kashani tells Semafor. — Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defaced
  1. disfigured
  2. mutilated
  3. vandalized
  4. damaged
  5. distorted
  6. mangled
  7. destroyed
  8. marred
Adjective
  • In a particularly gnarly flashback, one sibling voluntarily — and crudely — amputates his fingers to match his brother's disfigured hand, which lost two digits when Angier shot him.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
  • The bodies had signs of binding the hands and feet, contortion of limbs, cut off fingertips and disfigured heads, according to Kaki.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025
Definition of disfigured
Adjective
  • According to the Times coverage of the incident and subsequent lawsuit, the scenes shown in the classroom included autopsies, decaying cadavers and live animals being butchered, mutilated and tortured.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
  • But the most difficult parts also offer ways forward — news that arrives via a skull, a mutilated body, evidence of closure in many respects of the word.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of mutilated
Verb
  • The coating, supplied by Atlantic Industrial Coatings under a no-bid contract, began peeling after the pool was refilled, while bright green algae appeared as the president claimed without evidence that it had been vandalized.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • That marble sculpture of George III, vandalized in 1775, was now beheaded altogether, to the cheers of soldiers.
    — Sarah M.S. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of vandalized
Verb
  • Residential buildings were badly damaged in the assault, leaving people trapped in multi-story apartment blocks and an entire family that was killed pulled from the rubble, while cars were seen burning on city streets.
    — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • As a bonus, those seasons are ideal for planting a replacement shrub or re-establishing a lawn if it is damaged during the shrub removal.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
Definition of damaged
Adjective
  • In many cases, Kallis said, the roots of this behavior were planted long before, frequently through trauma, abuse, isolation, addiction or distorted coping mechanisms that were never confronted or healed.
    — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
  • Letting go of these items leads to regret for the loss of nostalgia and passing on true history for a distorted version.
    — Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 28 June 2026
Definition of distorted
Adjective
  • The nose of the aircraft appeared torn off, leaving mangled parts of the front of the plane dangling toward the ground.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Images showed the mangled front of the plane lifted into the air and its tail on the tarmac.
    — Brian Dakss, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of mangled
Verb
  • These structures were regionally and culturally inspired, and largely destroyed during rapid and callous colonization.
    — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026
  • The Aspen Acres fire has likely destroyed more than 200 homes, but the fire conditions have stopped damage assessment teams from accessing some areas to get a clearer picture, Pueblo County officials said.
    — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 4 July 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • Already, reports of sparse crowds have marred the Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall, the Daily Beast said.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's trip to the United Kingdom is already marred by drama after reports circulated that the visit was canceled due to security concerns.
    — Tracy Wright , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of marred

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Cite this Entry

“Defaced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defaced. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of defaced for Spanish Speakers

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