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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

The kernels should develop dark golden spots without becoming overly blackened.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
One of the daily specials, a creamy risotto accented with a bold red pepper puree and blackened shrimp, caught my eye and satisfied my cravings for something comforting.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026

Definition of blackened

Adjective

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
A week after Venezuela’s twin earthquakes, doctors warn untreated wounds, filthy shelters and scarce supplies are fueling a looming wave of infections that could claim more lives.

— Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 1 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

With Jagger’s vocals often buried deep in the muddy and murky mix, the album initially sounds like a druggy demo.

— Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
The rains breached reservoirs, including the dramatic collapse of part of a dam in Hengzhou that inundated a wide area with fast-flowing muddy water.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 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

Their Victorian house looks preposterous in this dusty hamlet.

— Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026
Miners flooded the dusty flats surrounding this area after three Irish prospectors, who had immigrated to Australia in the hopes of making their fortunes, accidentally stumbled across gold while looking for water in 1893.

— Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Definition of dusty

Adjective

Or stands proudly athwart a county that has long demonized it as too dirty, too crime-ridden — in other words, too Latino.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
At the center sits a giant mound of dirty work clothes, and hidden speakers play a nonstop whisper of the laborers’ names.

— Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

Definition of dirty

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“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of besmirched

adjective

verb

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