as in stained
not clean
wiped the toddler's besmirched face with a damp cloth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of besmirched
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
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
-
Wet the stained area with water, dab it with rubbing alcohol, and blot the carpet.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
5 May 2026
-
That might mean a heavy-duty old-school wooden door with a stained finish or a high-gloss paint color that stands out from the street.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The mosque is blackened and burned, the minaret split in two.—
Kat Lonsdorf,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Add the unpeeled garlic and toast until blackened, about 5 minutes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Then downstairs in the filthy little basement, where there's the stone butt carved into the wall, people knew exactly what to do.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
-
Strong supports the closing of Men’s Central Jail and said the department needed to look at medical care, filthy living conditions and a lack of healthy food and clean water.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 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
-
During a recent visit by Fortune, Haushalter trudged through her muddy post-rain fields in high rubber boots.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Old hellebore varieties didn't generate much excitement with their muddy-colored blooms that turned their faces to the soil, but newer cultivars are bigger and brighter.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC.—
Karl Vick,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There are no fine hats or seersucker here; just dusty boots and blue jeans, the million-dollar trainers no fancier than their workers.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
Inside these massive, dusty, and gas-rich regions, the same series of events always occurs.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The drinks attract younger women, typically age 16 to 35, and are aimed at health-conscious customers that don’t want Swig’s more caloric and filling dirty sodas, CEO Alex Dunn said.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That wasn’t the only utensil stored in a dirty place.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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