deface
verb
de·face
| \ di-ˈfās
, dē-\
, dē-\
defaced;
defacing;
defaces
Definition of deface
1
: to mar the appearance of : injure by effacing significant details
deface an inscription
2
: impair
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Other Words from deface
defacement
\ di-ˈfās-mənt
, dē- \
noun
, dē- \
noun
defacer
noun
Examples of deface in a Sentence
The building was defaced with graffiti.
He was fined for defacing public property.
Recent Examples on the Web
However, some people have defaced and damaged the flowers. — Evan Frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A small portion of the estimated 500,000 sunflowers were damaged by visitors," 27 Aug. 2019 This July, Roman officials announced a new sanction to administer fines to those who soil, deface or damage the city’s historic, artistic and monumental sites. — Natalie B. Compton, chicagotribune.com, "Sitting on Rome’s famous Spanish Steps can now cost you a serious fine," 20 Aug. 2019 Politics of the day of course often determined who or what was defaced or destroyed. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The Cowardly Incoherence of Name-Changing, Statue-Toppling, and other Iconoclasms," 25 June 2019 Just days after Aaliyah‘s new wax figure was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas, her family is urging museum-goers to respect the replica after fans defaced it with makeup and re-styled its hair. — Colleen Kratofil, PEOPLE.com, "Aaliyah Fan Caught Applying Lipstick on Singer's Wax Figure on 18th Anniversary of Her Death," 26 Aug. 2019 For many of these people, destroying or defacing the Cross that has stood undisturbed for nearly a century would not be neutral and would not further the ideals of respect and tolerance embodied in the First Amendment. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "SCOTUS: Cross honoring military can remain on public land," 20 June 2019 For many of these people, destroying or defacing the Cross that has stood undisturbed for nearly a century would not be neutral and would not further the ideals of respect and tolerance embodied in the First Amendment. — CBS News, "Supreme Court upholds "Peace Cross" on public land in Maryland," 20 June 2019 Protesters have defaced the national emblem at the central government’s liaison office, and over the past weekend, threw a Chinese national flag into the harbor. — Time Staff, Time, "Hong Kongers Go on Strike to Support the 'Revolution of Our Time'," 5 Aug. 2019 Several locations at Centennial Park on the 6800 block of McCormick Boulevard were reported to have been defaced with graffiti on July 21, police said. — Daniel I. Dorfman, chicagotribune.com, "Police: Tire slashed on 2019 Toyota Highlander," 30 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deface.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for deface
deface
verb
English Language Learners Definition of deface
: to ruin the surface of (something) especially with writing or pictures
See the full definition for deface in the English Language Learners Dictionary
deface
verb
de·face
| \ di-ˈfās
\
\
defaced;
defacing
Kids Definition of deface
: to damage the face or surface of
Vandals defaced the statue.
deface
transitive verb
de·face
| \ di-ˈfās
\
\
defaced;
defacing
Legal Definition of deface
: to destroy or mar the face or surface of
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