as in stained
not clean
wiped the toddler's besmirched face with a damp cloth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in blackened
to make dirty
inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
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
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
-
Visitors stroll from room to room, surrounded by stained glass and sacred cremains, serving witness to moving and often head-scratching performances.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Quick wash cycles are best for lightly soiled or musty items and small loads, not for stained or heavily used laundry.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The shrimp basket at B&J's Steak and Seafood includes a half pound of shrimp fried, grilled, blackened or boiled.—
Bill Dawers - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
-
Look for blackened, dim, and flickering bulbs during your inspections and replace those as well.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
But, the freedom loving sane people of this great country came to Karoline's defense to show support, destroy the filthy LIBS and celebrate the greatest press secretary this country has ever employed.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Fans fought in the streets, heaved bottles, smashed windows and shouted filthy insults in the melee, which left nearly 50 people injured.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 June 2026
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
Adjective
-
The battle that follows — a muddy and mean scrum — is even more ghastly, partly for its utter pointlessness.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Western thought tells us that the journey needn’t be muddy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX's headquarters in Starbase, Texas, which sits at the state's southern tip in the Rio Grande Valley, emerges almost unexpectedly after miles of long, dusty dirt roads.—
Maya Blackstone,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
The nose on my sample kicked off with some dusty funk, espresso, and dark chocolate.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
There are two freezer martini variations – one with vodka, served dirty and another with gin and a lemon twist.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 June 2026
-
Wet bathing suits and dirty clothes need somewhere to go once your kid has changed into something dry and clean.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
