besmirch vs sully

besmirch and sully both are verbs.

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

As verbs, besmirch and sully are synonyms defined as:

besmirch and sully: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

Other synonyms of besmirch include asperse, calumniate, defame, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch.

besmirch (verb)	sully (verb)
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone	charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
smear so as to make dirty or stained	make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
	place under suspicion or cast doubt upon