as in to stain
to make dirty
inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet
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Recent Examples of besmirch
Kelly believes a book like this hasn’t been written before because people weren’t ready to hear the truth – as though acknowledging these famous people’s complete life experiences would be besmirching their legacies.
—
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
The eggs were fluffy, lacking any of the rubbery slop that besmirches lesser breakfast burritos.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
This cynicism inevitably besmirches players, coaches, and referees who have no ties to gambling.
—Danny Funt, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for besmirch
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
The eggs were fluffy, lacking any of the rubbery slop that besmirches lesser breakfast burritos.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
This cynicism inevitably besmirches players, coaches, and referees who have no ties to gambling.
—Danny Funt, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for besmirch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besmirch
Verb
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On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Customize it by painting the wood a fun color or staining it for a rustic look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Loss of valuables in the ruins The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The exteriors of some buildings remained blackened from the flames, a reminder of the tragedy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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In its first go-round, Beef was ripe with curiosity about first-gen immigrant families and how the fear of leaving home stagnates and sullies us.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
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And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besmirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirch. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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