defaced; defacing; defaces
1
: to mar the appearance of : injure by effacing significant details
deface an inscription
2
: impair
3
obsolete
: destroy
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
As the homes of Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak and several board members were defaced by pro-Palestinian protesters along with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, three people splattered paint on the German Consulate at 871 UN Plaza.
—
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 13 June 2024
The student services building was deemed a crime scene by authorities and multiple windows were defaced with messages in red paint.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
On June 11, the Philip Mould Gallery shared that Jonathan Yeo's dramatic painting of the King, 75, is in good condition after it was defaced by activists from the group Animal Rising with posters inspired by Wallace and Gromit earlier that day.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
The Brooklyn residence of Anne Pasternak, director of the Brooklyn Museum, was defaced by vandals on the evening of June 11.
—News Desk, Artforum, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for deface 
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 13 June 2024
The student services building was deemed a crime scene by authorities and multiple windows were defaced with messages in red paint.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
On June 11, the Philip Mould Gallery shared that Jonathan Yeo's dramatic painting of the King, 75, is in good condition after it was defaced by activists from the group Animal Rising with posters inspired by Wallace and Gromit earlier that day.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024
The Brooklyn residence of Anne Pasternak, director of the Brooklyn Museum, was defaced by vandals on the evening of June 11.
—News Desk, Artforum, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for deface
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deface.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near deface
Cite this Entry
“Deface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deface. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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Legal Definition
deface
transitive verb
de·face
di-ˈfās 
defaced; defacing
: to destroy or mar the face or surface of
defacement
noun
defacer
noun
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