smirching

verb

present participle of smirch
1
as in staining
to make dirty their clothes were smirched by dust from the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliating
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 smirching
  1. staining
  2. humiliating
  3. blackening
  4. discrediting
  5. dirtying
  6. embarrassing
  7. messing
Verb
  • Hydrogen peroxide acts as a mild disinfectant that kills mold and bacteria and is very helpful for light staining.
    — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Use only white, clear or purple products on your hair to avoid staining.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of staining
Verb
  • The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict and are routinely humiliating the American president.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Definition of humiliating
Verb
  • Lines at Russian gas stations, crippled refineries, and images of burning oil depots blackening the sky lent credence to the narrative, as did blackouts and fuel shortages in Crimea.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026
  • There’s more than just blackening bananas; electrodes embedded in the fruit transmit electrical signals into sound and light tones that constantly shift.
    — Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of blackening
Verb
  • Matthew Cohen—who has also gone by Jason Goose—played his own part in discrediting the files.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • This isn’t about discrediting merengue, a genre that also deserves to be celebrated, respected and protected.
    — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of discrediting
Verb
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • 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.
    — Adam Roy, Outside, 28 Dec. 2025
Definition of dirtying
Verb
  • But the Yanks are hot after embarrassing Boston with 9-0 and 9-2 victories in the Wild Card round.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Things escalate as the two share a car ride home from a fancy gala and the bad man yells at her for embarrassing him.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • There was something a little therapeutic about messing it up.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 June 2026
  • No one can match her depth and passion to get vengeance on Krem of the Yellow Hills for messing with her family — a sentiment Cancers understand.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of messing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

smirches
smirching
smirk
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Cite this Entry

“Smirching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirching. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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