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• v  charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
• v  smear so as to make dirty or stained

• Not to besmirch anyone's reputation, but the annual convention of hackers known as DefCon is currently underway in Las Vegas.
• Months ago faithful Minister of Public Works McPherson charged that the suit was a political frame-up to ruin the Premier and besmirch Alberta's United Farmers Party in the .
• Some of the Queen's courtiers, at least, concluded that the troubled Diana had fabricated the story to besmirch Tiggy--apparently because some are .

• defame
• slander
• smirch
• asperse
• denigrate
• calumniate
• smear
• sully

News & Articles

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• Tutu calls on family not to 'besmirch' Mandela with public feud
  JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 6 (UPI) -- South African Anglican Bishop Desmond Tutu appealed to Nelson Mandela's family to "not besmirch his name" in public feuds about the graves of Mandela's sons.
  July 6, 2013 - UPI
• Don't 'besmirch' Mandela's name, Tutu tells feuding family
  South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu Thursday pleaded with Nelson Mandela's family not to "besmirch" his name after they engaged in a public spat fuelled by a legal dispute over a burial site.
  July 5, 2013 - Fox News
• Letters to the editor for July 3, 2013
  In regards to Jim Hassay’s letter from June 20: In trying to besmirch the Tea Party, you have exposed your lack of knowledge. The Tea Party did not “dupe” anyone.
  July 3, 2013 - The Union Democrat

Quotes

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• Robert Mugabe in Washington Post
  The so-called masters of democracy, who are known for their double standards, have ignored or underplayed this vicious campaign of unrestrained acts of terror and instead sought to besmirch the government for enforcing law and order,Mugabe...
• Richard Myers in CBS News
  But, echoing comments last week by President Bush, Myers said, "It's really a shame that just a handful can besmirch maybe the reputations of hundreds of thousands of our soldiers and sailors, airmen and Marines who've been over there."
• Kevin Rudd in NEWS.com.au
  You cannot simply throw mud in this business and seek to completely besmirch a politician or a prime minister's or a treasurer's reputation and then say 'oh by the way, this email doesn't exist',Mr Rudd said on Channel Nine this morning....