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
This vote comes one day after a Jewish fraternity house at the University of Arizona released a statement about graffiti defacing a wall of the house.
—
Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
But hate speech coupled with another offense, such as defacing public property or harassment, is considered a hate crime.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024
Lindy Jones, the 41-year-old driver of the vehicle stopped by Diller and his partner for illegally parking at a bus stop, faces criminal possession of a weapon and defacing a firearm charges, the department said Wednesday.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024
Federal law prohibits removing, defacing or trafficking in archeological resources on public or Native lands.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
If nothing else, these marred, stranded, and defaced vehicles are artifacts of a truly bizarre moment in car history.
—Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024
Hacking groups may also deface websites as a form of activism.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024
Last summer a Messi mural in Miami was defaced with purple paint (Orlando City color).
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024
When the billboard was defaced, the volunteers were shaken up.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
But hate speech coupled with another offense, such as defacing public property or harassment, is considered a hate crime.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024
Lindy Jones, the 41-year-old driver of the vehicle stopped by Diller and his partner for illegally parking at a bus stop, faces criminal possession of a weapon and defacing a firearm charges, the department said Wednesday.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024
Federal law prohibits removing, defacing or trafficking in archeological resources on public or Native lands.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
If nothing else, these marred, stranded, and defaced vehicles are artifacts of a truly bizarre moment in car history.
—Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024
Hacking groups may also deface websites as a form of activism.
—Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2024
Last summer a Messi mural in Miami was defaced with purple paint (Orlando City color).
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2024
When the billboard was defaced, the volunteers were shaken up.
—Sydney Page, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
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 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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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