Synonyms of besmirch

besmirch

verb

bi-ˈsmərch 

as in to stain

to make dirty

inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stain
• blacken
• dirty
• sully
• soil
• smirch
• muck
• mess
• befoul
• smudge
• muddy
• daub
• pollute
• grime
• contaminate
• mire
• distain
• taint
• foul
• gaum
• bemire
• begrime
• defile
• discolor
• disarrange
• confuse
• disarray
• muddle
• jumble
• disorder
• dishevel
• draggle
• crock
• colly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clean
• cleanse
• purify
• purge
• wipe
• decontaminate
• sweep
• wash
• sanitize
• disinfect
• scrub
• brush
• renew
• rinse
• scour
• brighten
• launder
• dust
• mop
• freshen
• spruce (up)
• straighten (up)
• dry-clean
• deodorize
• tidy (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of besmirch

And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Throwing out insults to soil someone’s reputation or besmirch their honor also carries the risk of fines in Switzerland, but that risk is diminished if the insults are retracted. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2026

Imagine having the gall to besmirch the name of a young mother killed for trying to speak up for her neighbors or of an ICU nurse shot in the back for trying to tend to a woman who had been pepper-sprayed in the face. — Sasha Abramsky, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026

The lack of awards buzz shouldn’t besmirch Amanda Seyfried’s performance here, though, which is great. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026

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