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
-
Seal grout lines once or twice a year to protect against moisture, dirt, and stains, reducing future cleaning efforts.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
10 June 2026 -
The Andrew and Fergie scandals have, without a doubt, left a stain on the British royal family.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
-
The shrimp basket at B&J's Steak and Seafood includes a half pound of shrimp fried, grilled, blackened or boiled.—
Bill Dawers - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
Diomande just humiliates fullbacks.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The prosecutor’s subjective good faith does not cure the retaliatory taint.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
The good news is that the gala survived its Bezos taint.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
News organizations have always faced scrutiny from targets frustrated by elements of their reporting, or looking to discredit those stories altogether.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
-
Those accusations have long been discredited.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Dabbing the cloth in rubbing alcohol, working away the dirty blots on the glass, waiting for the haze in my head to focus, and a new line to come to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Allow the garment to soak for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove it from the detergent solution and blot with a white paper towel or cloth.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
-
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,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
