besmirch
verb (used with object)
to soil; tarnish; discolor.
was besmirching
-
past progressiveof besmirch.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Robert Lynn, a lawyer for Mr. Gindi, said that if anyone was besmirching the Plaza’s good name, it was the hotel’s own guests.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2011
By that year, the gasworks had already spread to within a quarter of a mile of Christ Church, had ruined the view of Folly Bridge, was besmirching Pembroke College with smoke and soot.
From Time Magazine Archive
Four months before the Báb’s martyrdom Ṭihrán in its turn was to participate, to a lesser degree and under less dramatic circumstances, in the carnage that was besmirching the face of the country.
From God Passes By by Shoghi Effendi
