besmirch vs accuse

besmirch and accuse both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
besmirch	No	No	Yes	No
accuse	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, accuse is a hypernym of besmirch; that is, accuse is a word with a broader meaning than besmirch:

besmirch: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
accuse: blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against

Other hypernyms of besmirch include charge.

besmirch (verb)	accuse (verb)
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone	bring an accusation against; level a charge against
smear so as to make dirty or stained	blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against