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
-
The guest-only Chapel Club has a more plush, salon-like feel and there’s more than a hint of naughtiness with stained glass windows casting color onto the sensual artworks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Jan. 2026
-
How To Remove Types Of Mattress Stains Step-By-Step Vacuum the mattress and stained area.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The building burned to the ground and the soil has been scraped, but that blackened sago palm is still there, sprouting tons of new growth.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
There's no better tool for making biscuits, cornbread, or blackened chicken than a cast-iron skillet.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Rodents, roaches, flies and knives stored in filthy places were among the myriad violations on this week’s Sick and Shut Down List of South Florida restaurants that failed state inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
-
The walk to the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, which is hosting men’s and women’s competitions at the 2026 Olympic Games, is a muddy one.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Once the ground is thawed enough to be worked with—but not oversaturated or muddy-feeling—use a rake or roller to try and even things back out.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those campaigns were seemingly effective; crowds in South Beach last March were much smaller than in the past, when multiple spring break periods had been sullied by shootings, stampedes and curfews.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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The publicity emails sent from Amazon regarding the movie have no individual names or email addresses attached, as though no one wanted their career or personal brand sullied by association.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This one, in a dusty olive green, has a high pile texture and subtle geometric design for the right amount of visual interest.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
13 Feb. 2026
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Mattresses and questionably clean bedding were dredged up, dusty couches cleared of detritus.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet, even as India remains wedded to the dirtiest fossil fuel, its coal consumption is roughly 40% of China’s at the same stage of development, Ember found.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Camperlab also experimented with bleaching, dirty tints and shades of pink.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besmirched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirched. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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