SMEARS Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

smears 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of smear

as in paints

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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as in libels

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

smears

2 of 2

noun

plural of smear

as in slanders

Related Words

as in stains

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

visions

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 smears

Verb

Darker smears around the crater’s rim contain surface rocks and lunar dust called regolith previously altered by solar winds, micrometeorites, and cosmic radiation over an extended period of time. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 The atmosphere works on them a little bit harder and reduces their strength and smears them a little bit more. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 Offshore dollar savings and onshore settlement demand are diverging, and the supply chart smears the two together. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 In other words, the show is a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, but one that smears a little cake on the country’s face. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 June 2026 This chilling, starkly beautiful ambient piece draws Nebraska’s marginal whispers to the forefront and smears them across the picture plane. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2026 The five pieces offer, in turn, biomorphic hints of de Kooning, the ragged shapes of Clyfford Still, the bold geometries of Ellsworth Kelly, the paint smears of Gerhard Richter, and something that looks like toothpaste squeezed onto an orange peel. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 Teachers Union leader Randi Weingarten smears Trump voters as fascists! — The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smears

Verb

Pro Football Reference paints a more positive picture (15 of 21 for 136).

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Shapira paints a picture of a kinder, gentler war, where technology takes soldiers away from the trenches and from the tanks, to a chair behind a screen.

— Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of paints

Noun

The insinuations of business hucksterism are one thing that could provoke him, more intimate details are another.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Coverage of the story dovetailed with a hail of memes and insinuations online that Crockett is a zealot or a pretend cowboy out of his depth.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of insinuations

Verb

Adding the butter before the warm milk and cream coats the potato starches in fat, helping the mash stay smooth and creamy even after refrigeration.

— Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.

— Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of coats

Noun

The Tigers’ middling performance against Troy and sloppy play in spurts has cast some aspersions on their aspirations.

— PJ Green September 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
Who might emerge as the provocateur of the Premier League touchline and who might cast dark aspersions in press conferences?

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of aspersions

Noun

Clean regularly because frequent care keeps stainless steel bright and reduces smudges.

— Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
Freshen Stainless Steel Coconut oil can be a great product for cleaning stainless steel, says home and pool expert Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Cabana—specifically to remove fingerprints and smudges.

— Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of smudges

Verb

God prepares a table for the speaker despite the presence of his enemies, anoints his head with oil, and fills his cup to overflowing.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
Analysis from data and tactics writer Conor O’Neill Every World Cup anoints a breakout star, a previously unheralded player who is catapulted into the spotlight.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of anoints

Browse Nearby Words

smearing

smears

smell

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Style

“Smears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smears. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of smears

verb

noun

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