datesmudge
/ˈdeɪtˌsmʌdʒ/nounVerified NewThe soft-focusing of employment dates on a CV to disguise a gap or a short tenure.
"2019–2020" covers twenty-two months; "2021" expands nine into twelve. Datesmudge is near-universal and near-forgiven — until a reference check sharpens the picture and the smudge becomes the story.
Etym. — date + smudge: history altered at the pencil stage, not the eraser stage.
Rel. — glossletter
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-04-work.md
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