as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
corruption charges that were a smirch on her reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to stain
to make dirty
their clothes were smirched by dust from the trail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
this scandal will forever smirch the name of a once-great family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirch
Noun
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Plus, their fabric and fill are less likely to accrue that ever-darkening yellowish stain that tired goose down pillows acquire over time, thanks to sweat, oils, lotion residues, etc.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
24 Oct. 2025 -
For more stubborn or deep stains, like ink or red wine, combine equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to form a paste.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Skip any skins that look moldy, blackened, or spoiled.—
Cathy Cassata,
Health,
24 Oct. 2025
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Whether this backlash will slow the data center boom, blacken the reputation of AI companies and their products with users, or hasten the roll-out of AI regulation globally remains to be seen.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pressing for payment could humiliate people, who often arrive with their extended families, Parmar explained, and in a community this close-knit, that could mean losing dozens of patients, including many of the Medicaid patients who keep the clinic afloat.—
Helen Ouyang,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
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By the time the cameras stopped clicking and the newsmen flew home, Kentucky had been humiliated in the national press, the onlooker’s violence both disputed and affirmed in accounts of this day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
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Take care not to touch the glands, or your hands will carry their taint to the meat.—
Maurice H. Decker,
Outdoor Life,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Pritzker has been trying to debunk claims that Chicago is an out-of-control hellhole; to assert in court that the federal government has no right to send in federal troops; and to discredit the tactics by immigration agents to arrest migrants in his state’s streets and businesses.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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Demonstrations can be hard to describe and easy to discredit.—
Nancy Gibbs,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Use a clean cloth to gently blot at the area without rubbing, which can damage carpet fibers.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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Caring for wicker can often feel impossible (so many divots to dust), but this coffee table is easy; just blot and wipe it with a damp cloth to keep it looking pristine for many pollen seasons to come.—
Rachel Fletcher,
Architectural Digest,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Famously, the British press conspired to draw the dramatist’s name through the mud, besmirching his literary legacy for generations to follow.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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Conservative leaders and administrations have besmirched the rule of law in the Republic's gravest scandals; Teapot Dome under Harding, Watergate under Nixon, Iran–Contra under Reagan, and multiple scandals in the Trump era.—
Allan J. Lichtman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Smirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirch. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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