smear
verb (used with object)
to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something.
has smeared
-
present perfectof smear (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
All the losing has smeared Belichick’s legacy and likely will end his long tenure in New England after two-plus decades of unprecedented success that was followed by two seasons of failure.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
I have found cooking and eating very comforting indeed, thank you, even as I have looked at my increasingly fuzzy reflection in the mirror and wondered whether someone has smeared the damn lens with Vaseline.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 18, 2021
She went on to note that, in addition to preventing lint disasters, black napkins conceal whatever food or makeup a diner has smeared on them, allowing for “continued confident napkin use.”
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 10, 2018
The doctors said he was not ill but his father still says Sultan has "smeared his honor" and must get "that nonsense" out of his head.
From Reuters ● Nov. 2, 2014
Churlishness in his private life, and a rancorous hatred of everything royal in his public, are the two colors with which he has smeared all the canvas.
From The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. IV (of X)—Great Britain and Ireland II by Henry Cabot Lodge
