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
-
While any first-round loss is a stain on the Lakers’ legacy, at least this loss comes with hope.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025 -
Although it’s made from a cushy fabric, the rug won’t hold stains and just needs to be spot-cleaned with soap and water.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The mains are just as exciting, with dishes like Thai basil yellowfin tuna and blackened redfish on offer.—
Amanda Ogle,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Apr. 2025
-
One time, alone in a lean-to of sticks in Florida, something huge blackened the night nearby.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside Online,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Shawn reluctantly agrees, but is humiliated when Cory starts acting corny around his friend Gambling Dan (Phil Buckman), and his lackey, Louie (Weiss).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
He must be seen standing up to foreign oppressors who seek to humiliate China and thwart its rightful rise.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Bonus: The vast majority of Aussie wines are sealed with screw caps, regardless of price, which equals consistency, longer aging, and zero risk of cork taint.—
Christina Pickard,
Bon Appétit,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Catholicism offers ritual without the tedium of rationality; anarchism offers revolutionary action against inequality without the taint of materialism, the prospect of personal gain.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Place them in a shoe bag or wrap them in a plastic bag to keep them from dirtying other items.—
Will Porter,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Feb. 2025
-
For example, a small non-shedding dog that rarely goes outside won't dirty a bed nearly as fast as a large labarador that plays outside daily.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Crucially, this emerging capability to emulate human thought–like behaviors does not confirm or discredit chatbot consciousness.—
Susan Schneider,
Scientific American,
1 May 2025
-
Ministers accuse him of politically motivated investigations designed to discredit the government.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The ink blots of the past 20 years are dried all over Metal Gear Solid Delta.—
Ashley Bardhan,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2025
-
How To Get Pen Out Of Clothes Pet Stains Remove any solids and blot wet areas with a paper towel.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Their reputations were besmirched.—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Dec. 2024
-
Images illustrating the reality versus carefully edited Instagram selfies have somewhat besmirched Santorini’s romantic reputation of late.—
Helen Iatrou,
AFAR Media,
16 Dec. 2024
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.
Cite this Entry
“Smirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirch. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share