Besmirchments is the act of damaging or tarnishing someone's reputation. There are several synonyms that can be used in place of this word, including defamation, slander, vilification, and calumny. All these words refer to the act of making false and negative statements about someone to discredit their reputation. Similarly, the term defamation refers to the act of making derogatory statements about a person or their reputation. Slander, on the other hand, is the act of making false accusations against someone that harm their reputation. While vilification refers to the act of publicly criticizing or belittling someone's character. Lastly, calumny is making false and malicious statements about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation.