1. the act of making something dirty or blurred
2. a Native American ceremonial practice of burning sacred herbs for purification
Usage: spiritual/cultural practice

1. making something dirty or blurred by rubbing or touching it
Usage: present participle of smudge

Examples

• She was smudging the ink with her sleeve.
• The rain was smudging the chalk drawings on the sidewalk.
• Careful not to touch the wet paint – you’re smudging it.
• The smudging of the photograph made it hard to see the faces.
• The elder performed a smudging ceremony before the meeting.
• Smudging with sage is a traditional purification ritual.
• The artist avoided smudging her charcoal drawing by using a paper guard.