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Definitions

smudge

[smuhj] / smʌdʒ /
NOUN
dirt smear
Synonyms
Antonyms




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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On Christmas the following year, he noticed what he thought was a smudge on his glasses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

The hit was a small smudge on Bruins ace Taylor Tinsley’s line, finishing with two strikeouts and three hits across the five innings.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

You can distort a timeline, smudge the facts, and leave others out to pursue one angle in favor of another, depending on your agenda.

From Slate ● Oct. 13, 2025

But, against the odds, he found what he hoped for - a brown smudge on the white ice sheet.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2024

She raised a hand to her face and wiped away the tears, leaving a smudge of mud on her cheeks.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman

Little else was known about the 30-40 day moult, until Fretwell spotted large brown smudges in satellite pictures from 2019-2025.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

It’ll leave little silver smudges like a disappointing eyeshadow.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2025

If smudges in the sky are your thing, sure, fine.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2024

“They told me to go on a computer, but the computers are dirty. People are touching those computers. You can see the smudges, the dark spots. Like they never clean them.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 15, 2024

He kicked the wall, leaving black smudges on the white paint.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

They’re the smart choice, even if you come across a slightly smudged crystal ball.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Either way, the onetime roommates and bandmates pioneered a discomfiting broken-doll aesthetic of smudged eyeliner, smeared lipstick and plastic barrettes clipped to hanks of bleached-out hair.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

"Intensity mapping is like viewing the same scene through a smudged plane window: you get a blurrier picture, but you capture all the light and not just the brightest spots."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 8, 2026

Expect a lot of smudged mascara as the pair receive a send-off to remember.

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2025

Two of the new settlers come straggling into the fort, dragging wooden clubs, their faces smudged with soot.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

The two women move around the room, burning herbs and shaking shamanic rattles while singing and chanting in a purification ritual known as "smudging".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2025

That may not stop people from using sage or smudging it; I also have the sage I was gifted years ago by my best friend.

From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2024

Researchers believe these early artists selected charcoal because it was the perfect medium, ideal for the smudging and blending techniques used in cave paintings.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 4, 2023

On another, Djokovic tumbled behind the baseline, smudging his red shirt, blue shorts and skin with the rust-colored clay.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 11, 2023

At last Ralph stopped work and stood up, smudging the sweat from his face with a dirty forearm.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding




Vocabulary lists containing smudge


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