DEFACEMENTS Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

deface 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈfās

Definition of deface

as in to vandalize

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to injure

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

defacement

2 of 2

noun

as in vandalism

deliberate damaging or destroying of another's property the defacement of the school's property ended up costing hundreds of dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 deface

Verb

Preservationists, architects and historians warn that painting the 19th century facade would trap moisture, accelerate deterioration and deface one of Washington’s most important historic structures. — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … HOLY GROUND ATTACK — World-famous Catholic shrine defaced and set on fire. — FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Noun

Regardless, following the Roonstrasse defacement, a wave of additional antisemitic vandalism spread throughout West Germany and other places, including the United States. — Daniela R. P. Weiner, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026 This can include denial-of-service attacks, in which hackers try to jam a network so legitimate users cannot use it, and website defacements, which can prevent a company from communicating with customers. — ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deface

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deface

Verb

Shops were looted in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and other cities, while public buildings were vandalized or targeted by fires.

— Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Government buildings were vandalized in multiple cities, contributing to a sense of national crisis that could boost leading far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen six months before elections.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of vandalize

Verb

At least one person died and more than a dozen were injured in a major Ukrainian drone strike yesterday on Saint Petersburg, Russia's former imperial capital.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
Continue reading … NATION IN MOURNING — Canadian service members killed, 19 critically injured after fire rips through base.

— , FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of injure

Verb

Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Running low on fuel, NASA chose to steer Cassini straight into Saturn's atmosphere, where the spacecraft was destroyed.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Miles said one of his friends made the decision to drop his early decision application to Cornell, not because of the incident itself, but for fear the school’s reputation would be damaged.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Insurance payouts for mortgaged homes damaged or destroyed by fires are typically not sent directly to homeowners but instead are held by lenders or servicers, who then disburse the funds in tranches as a home is rebuilt or repaired.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of damage

Verb

For one thing, Baron Haussmann had demolished swaths of the neighborhood in the mid-eighteen-hundreds to create the Place de la République.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
In the 1990s, plans to demolish the deteriorating site and replace it with an underground car park sparked fierce opposition from local residents and traders, who successfully campaigned to save it.

— Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of demolish

Verb

Both Republicans had promoted the narrative that the 2020 election was marred by fraud.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
The tight finish came after a first half with see-saw action — mainly by Stewart — but was marred by whistles and questionable foul calls.

— Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of mar

Browse Nearby Words

def

deface

defaced

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deface. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of deface

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes