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

Bryna Laub, editor of Daytime Serial Newsletter, felt the show besmirched the sanctity of soaps and contributed to the broader currents of shame surrounding the genre. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

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

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