smudged; smudging
1
a
: a blurry spot or streak
b
: an immaterial stain
cleanse him of every last smudge of impropriety—
Richard Hanser
Richard Hanser
c
: an indistinct mass : blur
2
: a smoldering mass placed on the windward side (as to protect from frost)
3
: a bid of four in pitch that if made wins the game
Synonyms
Examples of smudge in a Sentence
Verb
Don't smudge the picture with your dirty hands!
His face was smudged with grease.
Noun
His hand left a grimy smudge on the wall.
the president's spouse must not have the slightest smudge of scandal
Recent Examples on the WebPCMAG, 21 May 2024
Gold makeup was caked onto his face and hands and smudged onto his bright green, blue and purple sunglasses.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for smudge 
Verb
This design doesn't attract fingerprints, though the outer display does get smudged from time to time.
—PCMAG, 21 May 2024
Gold makeup was caked onto his face and hands and smudged onto his bright green, blue and purple sunglasses.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 19 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for smudge
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smudge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Smudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smudge. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smudge
1 of 2 verb
smudged; smudging
1
a
: to make a smudge on
b
: to soil as if by smudging
2
: to make a smudge
a chalk that does not smudge
3
: to become smudged
charcoal drawings smudge easily
smudge
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a blurry spot or streak : smear
2
: a fire made to smoke (as for protecting fruit from frost)
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