tarnish

verb

tar·nish | \ ˈtär-nish

tarnished; tarnishing; tarnishes

Definition of tarnish

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt : soil, stain

2a : to detract from the good quality of : vitiate his fine dreams now slightly tarnished

b : to bring disgrace on : sully the scandal has tarnished his reputation

intransitive verb

: to become tarnished

tarnish

noun

Definition of tarnish (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that tarnishes especially : a film of chemically altered material on the surface of a metal (such as silver)

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Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

Verb

Some foods will tarnish silver. The scandal tarnished his reputation.

Noun

a polish that removes tarnish

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

His willingness to compromise his principles for the sake of politics at the height of the post-9/11 torture debate substantially weakened its power and ultimately tarnished his moral legacy. — Jennifer Williams, Vox, "Sen. John McCain’s complicated moral legacy on torture," 26 Aug. 2018 Others said their parents worry letting them drive will tarnish their reputation with neighbors. — Fortune, "Saudi Arabia Is About to Let Women Drive. Here's Why Some Will Keep Their Driving Licenses a Secret," 22 June 2018 Or is his specious Nice Guy(™) persona tarnished forever? — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "Pusha T, Drake, and the Limits of Rap Beef," 30 May 2018 And there goes a piece of Davis’ legacy sailing out the window, tarnished forever. — Scott Fowler, charlotteobserver, "Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis just took a big hit. Will his legacy ever recover? | Charlotte Observer," 6 Apr. 2018 But high points for Russian athletes have been rare since the country’s image was tarnished by doping, with numerous Olympic medals stripped for drug use. — BostonGlobe.com, "Russia shuts out Saudi Arabia in World Cup opener," 14 June 2018 After the acquisition failure, Bumble claims (in this lawsuit that could be dropped) that Match filed its lawsuit challenging the IP of Bumble’s swiping features and gestures out of spite and to tarnish the app’s name. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "Bumble is slowly backing off on its $400 million lawsuit against Match Group," 2 Nov. 2018 No one was eager to tarnish the memory of President Harding, a devoted golfer with fair hair, a poor diet, and a penchant for extramarital affairs. — Kevin Baker, The New Republic, "Why America needs truth and reconciliation after Trump," 17 May 2018 Just about every Kennedy delighted in adulterous hookups while in office, and girls on the side have followed President Clinton from Little Rock to this day, tarnishing his reputation but not his legacy. — Marcia Desanctis, Town & Country, "Mark Sanford, Act II," 14 Feb. 2013

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Boeing’s stock has been battered as investors fret about the company’s liability for a system possibly tripped up by a single point of failure — the sensor reading — along with tarnish to the 737 brand. — Mary Schlangenstein, The Seattle Times, "Boeing to hold global conference call with airlines that fly 737 MAX model that was involved in crash," 20 Nov. 2018 For heavier tarnish, mix a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water. — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Silver and Prevent Tarnish," 20 Nov. 2018 Rub the mixture on your copper item in circular motions and repeat until the entire surface is tarnish-free. — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Copper and Make It Shine Like New Again," 4 May 2018 The Swedish Academy won’t name a Nobel laureate in literature this year, depriving the book industry of one of its main annual promotional events, and acknowledging the tarnish on the highest honor in letters. — Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, WSJ, "Swedish Academy Won’t Award Nobel Prize in Literature This Year," 4 May 2018 For heavier tarnish, mix three parts baking soda to one part water. Wet the silver and apply the cleaner with a soft, lint-free cloth. — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Every Type of Jewelry," 9 Mar. 2018 But the flood of bad news has put a serious tarnish on the brand just as key competitors like Hyundai, Volkswagen, General Motors and others start bringing their own long-range models to market. — NBC News, "Tesla recalls almost half the cars it ever built, as shares tank and Musk's billions shrink," 30 Mar. 2018 Each ornament features a three-dimensional design with a tarnish-resistant silver finish. — Ann Norman, cleveland.com, "Lolly the Trolley returns to Medina Candlelight Walk Nov. 17-19," 3 Nov. 2017 Though this is the first time that a defamation suit has centered on a claim of changing gender, past courts have been forced to determine whether being deemed gay tarnishes a reputation. — Kenzie Bryant, vanityfair.com, "Richard Simmons’s Loss Could Be Transgender Rights’ Gain," 31 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tarnish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.