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
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
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
-
Firefighters made a hole with an axe just above the entrance to let the thick black smoke flow out and to avoid breaking the eight stained glass windows along the sides of the structure.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Think soft yellow hues, floral motifs, and colorful stained glass.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Grace, her white lace dress blackened with blood, is smoking a cigarette outside of an incinerated mansion that belongs to her in-laws, the Le Domas, who are all dead.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The woman was taken to the Fort Worth jail, by then best described as an old, filthy, rat-infested hole in the basement of city hall.—
Kevin Foster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 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
-
Also, prepare to navigate 27 miles of bumpy, at times muddy dirt roads to the trailhead.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Agents trekked through muddy terrain in the dark and eventually found Medina curled up in a ball next to a tree.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
It's typically utilized on things like hinges, locks, gears and machinery, in dusty environments where traditional lubricants would attract debris.—
Ben Coxworth
March 27,
New Atlas,
27 Mar. 2026
-
On this gravelly, dusty, single lane, Bob Markle applied a pursuit trick that wardens learn early.—
Dave Duffey,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Customers will keep fighting back with dirty returns, unused reservations and hostile reviews.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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