bedaubs

verb

present tense third-person singular of bedaub
as in smears
to rub an oily or sticky substance over the toddler delightedly bedaubed herself with her mother's makeup

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedaubs
  1. smears
  2. coats
  3. paints
Verb
  • Darker smears around the crater’s rim contain surface rocks and lunar dust called regolith previously altered by solar winds, micrometeorites, and cosmic radiation over an extended period of time.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The atmosphere works on them a little bit harder and reduces their strength and smears them a little bit more.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of smears
Verb
  • Add the fresh corn, okra, and diced tomatoes, cooking until the tomatoes break down into a sauce that coats the tender vegetables.
    — Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Mediterranean sun, at its apex, burns as white as the signature paint that coats most Mykonian homes.
    — Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of coats
Verb
  • Set at a New England prep school during World War II, A Separate Peace paints a messy, complex depiction of adolescence and the loss of innocence.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Admittedly, his advanced analytics profile paints a picture of mediocrity.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of paints
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

bedaubing
bedaubs
bedazzle
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Cite this Entry

“Bedaubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedaubs. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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