as in staining
to make dirty
inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet
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Recent Examples of besmirching
Famously, the British press conspired to draw the dramatist’s name through the mud, besmirching his literary legacy for generations to follow.
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Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besmirching
Verb
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Holevich adds that cleaning these surfaces promptly will help prevent long-term staining and lingering odors.—
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Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren't wiped up right away.—
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
Verb
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
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Amazon shoppers are also going after this top-selling nonstick frying pan that’s great for eggs, chicken breasts, and other hard-to-flip foods, as well as this immersion blender that can churn soups and sauces into a creamy texture without dirtying another vessel.—
Verb
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Part of the art of airing dirty laundry lies in sullying oneself in the process.—
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The problem is, people were drinking a lot of bad ones, sullying their opinion of the drink.—
Verb
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The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.—
Verb
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On TikTok, as The Washington Post has reported, some creators are making $5,000 a month using AI tools to write scripts and animate extremely dumb viral videos where old men talk about soiling themselves.—
Cite this Entry
“Besmirching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besmirching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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