BESMIRCHED Synonyms: 145 Similar and Opposite Words

besmirched 1 of 2

adjective

as in stained

not clean wiped the toddler's besmirched face with a damp cloth

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besmirched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of besmirch

as in blackened

to make dirty inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet

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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.

Recent Examples of besmirched

Verb

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 Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime. — Niall Stanage, The Hill, 11 Aug. 2025 These hardy souls, largely indifferent to political and economic turbulence, were the mainstay of the tourist economy during the civil war that besmirched the lives of an entire generation from the 1980s on. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besmirched

Adjective

Everything from the casting (male dancers, internet faves, and very few actual models) to the scenery (a 191-year-old venue with plenty of stained glass) to the ambiance (candlelit, with lots of bows and florals) embodied the brand's quintessential mix of romance, community, and nostalgia.

— Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 26 June 2026
Spread the mixture on the stained area; leave it for 15 minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber cloth.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026

Definition of stained

Verb

Large sections of the ceiling were destroyed, blackened and charred, while the floor and tables below, some still with beer bottles on them, were blanketed in ash and debris.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Pictures shared on social media after the fire was extinguished showed chairs and tables inside the pub completely charred and blackened, with parts of the ceiling peeling off.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026

Definition of blackened

Adjective

Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Definition of filthy

Verb

When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.

— Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Dec. 2025

Definition of dirtied

Adjective

The crabs also burrow in the muddy seafloor to hide from predators and better withstand winter temperatures.

— Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
For thrill-seekers, adventure tours, such as the Hall Crawl or Guts and Glory, offer hands-on spelunking experiences through muddy passages and challenging climbs.

— Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 18 July 2026

Definition of muddy

Verb

Such shenanigans are more or less expected, and certainly haven’t forever sullied the American soccer fan base, at least here at home.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Soap invited its viewers to take jabs at the genre in a time when the soap opera’s reputation had already been sullied in the American mind.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

Definition of sullied

Adjective

Sedum nussbaumerianum The Coppertone Stonecrop gets its name from the dusty copper color its leaves turn when exposed to sunlight.

— Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
The dry, dusty air can also help limit some storm development by creating a more stable atmosphere.

— Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of dusty

Adjective

Spain versus Argentina in the final 24 hours later was never going to be a purists’ classic, but what unfolded was undoubtedly the dirtiest final since 2010, when the Spanish also faced aggressive, uncompromising opponents — the Netherlands.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Some Roomba models from as far back as 2004 can still be found in some homes, working away on dirty floors.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 20 July 2026

Definition of dirty

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“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of besmirched

adjective

verb

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