sully vs besmirch

sully and besmirch both are verbs.

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

As verbs, sully and besmirch are synonyms defined as:

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

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

sully (verb)	besmirch (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
make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically	smear so as to make dirty or stained
place under suspicion or cast doubt upon