as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
corruption charges that were a smirch on her reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Dorai Home Dish Pad – Quick-Dry Diatomite Stone Drying Mat for Kitchen Counter Compressed diatomaceous earth will also hold onto stains, which makes sense given the fact that its job is to absorb moisture.—
Emily Farris,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 June 2025 -
Many of the vessels were sunk in very deep water, and a reconnaissance mission would require a significant amount of time and funds, by which point the more than 80-year-old wrecks could be little more than rust stains on the seafloor.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Four months later, the hills around his home are still blackened and toxic.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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Some of the jewel beetle wings had their original green-yellow-red hues while others had blackened.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Ukrainians said they were subjected to beatings, electric shocks and dog attacks by Russian authorities, not only to extract information but to intimidate and humiliate them.—
Richard Engel,
NBC news,
11 June 2025
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Musk, who also owns SpaceX, had backed Isaacman, and felt betrayed and humiliated when Trump changed his mind, according to the report.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
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In his podcast on The Daily Wire this week, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro cited the taint of the jet deal and called on his listeners to honestly consider its implications.—
Howard LaFranchi,
Christian Science Monitor,
15 May 2025
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Chapter 7 Delaware Bay Water that Americans rely on for drinking and irrigation under threat from taint of saltwater Between New Jersey and Delaware, the river gives way to the Delaware Bay, where the water is salty.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And for nights when you can't be bothered to dirty a million dishes just to get dinner on the table, there's an air fryer from Ninja.—
Sarah Felbin,
SELF,
23 May 2025
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Crème Brûlée Steve Granitz Crème brûlée is like butter blonde, but dirtied up a bit for a browned, warm tint.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Trump’s team is working furiously to keep the bill going on other fronts, too: seeking to discredit Congress’s nonpartisan scorekeeper while savaging Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for resisting the bill and its debt ceiling increase.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
6 June 2025
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The White House has sought to discredit the CBO, but other groups have also presented estimates that conclude that the legislation would expand the U.S. government deficit by trillions of dollars.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Using a slotted spoon, transfer poached eggs to a paper-towel lined plate; blot dry.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
14 June 2025
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Vietnam is a wound for many Americans: a bloody quagmire, a blot on our conscience, a war that claimed more than 58,000 American lives and shattered faith at home in the good intentions of the government.—
Leo Tran,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Their reputations were besmirched.—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Dec. 2024
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Smirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirch. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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