1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to paint
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dirty
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blot
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the stain of this cowardly act would haunt him for the rest of his career
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stain
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Inside, wear regular work gloves or thin, plastic gloves for staining and refinishing.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
Mike Stunson, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Some nights at the restaurant are exceptionally lively — ask Gary about the wine stain on one of the walls — while others are routine.
—Jenna Thompson
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stain
Verb
Every blue jersey will be stained with blood by the end of the match.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Inside, wear regular work gloves or thin, plastic gloves for staining and refinishing.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
Noun
That extra molecule, according to the Cleveland Clinic, kills bacteria and removes stains.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Some nights at the restaurant are exceptionally lively — ask Gary about the wine stain on one of the walls — while others are routine.
—Jenna Thompson
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stain
Verb
-
Thursday’s study is not the first indication that social media may be tainting people’s views on sunscreen and sun safety.—
Lily Alvino,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
-
Troupis and Roman both filed motions seeking to relocate the trial from Dane County, which includes Madison, to neighboring Jefferson County, saying negative publicity had tainted the potential jury pool.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
In Park Slope, fans ended the day the way many New Yorkers did, celebrating with strangers over a pint in a city painted blue and orange.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
McCarthy doesn’t paint Alex and Ethan as perfect allies or perfect victims, instead choosing to explore the shortcomings in their friendship through mostly gender-neutral growing pains.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Dabbing the cloth in rubbing alcohol, working away the dirty blots on the glass, waiting for the haze in my head to focus, and a new line to come to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Allow the garment to soak for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove it from the detergent solution and blot with a white paper towel or cloth.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The only natural safeguard your body has against UV light is a microscopically thin layer of a pigment called melanin in your epidermis.—
Guy German,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
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That enhanced fiber swelling under microwaving exposes a greater number of accessible binding sites for pigment on keratin.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season has been marred by injuries, with veteran pitcher Max Scherzer facing significant setbacks.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
As Bloomberg recently reported, brides are buying $14 spells from witches on Etsy to ensure that their $100,000 weddings are not marred by blizzards or downpours.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The soundtrack of sneaker squeaks, rallying cries, and bouncing basketballs found visual complement in the crayon box of jerseys coloring the city in various shades of hometown pride.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
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On a patch of asphalt that had been colored with chalk to look like a rainbow in honor of Pride, a breakdancer spun for a cheering crowd and an associate who filmed the performance.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
-
The shrimp basket at B&J's Steak and Seafood includes a half pound of shrimp fried, grilled, blackened or boiled.—
Bill Dawers - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stain. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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