sully

verbs

place under suspicion or cast doubt upon

"sully someone's reputation"

cloud, corrupt, defile, sully, taint

make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically

"The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"

defile, maculate, stain, sully, tarnish

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

"The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"

asperse, besmirch, calumniate, defame, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch, sully