besmirched 1 of 2

besmirched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of besmirch

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
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
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • The Iron fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles, authorities said.
    Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and had blackened 34 square miles (87 square kilometers), authorities said.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 June 2026
Adjective
  • And a great bench of freelancers is making this all-American game feel dramatic, approachable, and exciting—even to filthy casuals.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
  • 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
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 rapid spread of the disease is exacerbated by the nature of gold mining, which involves muddy pits filled with miners surrounding the town.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 June 2026
  • Catfish and carp, on the other hand, are true bottom feeders, hence the muddy flavor injection in their flesh.
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 25 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
  • Looking for a heritage bolt of fabric without having to comb through the dusty shelves of an antiques store?
    Alyssa Longobucco, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2026
  • On the dusty backroads of Radiator Springs, where Lightning McQueen and his pals live, a shower of meteors threatened to bring destruction upon the quarter-size cars in a scene that disaster movie king Roland Emmerich would endorse.
    Sandra Gonzalez, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
Adjective
  • Those who have sustained a severe burn or dirty wound should follow up with a booster after five years, according to the CDC.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Down Pennsylvania Avenue, a man in a karate gi, disposable gloves, and dirty white sneakers was hauling a cart by means of a homemade yoke strapped across his shoulders.
    Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.

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