as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnish
Silverplate can, however, be permanently tarnished if untreated.
—
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 June 2025
For Cassity, turning the cemetery into an asset to the community has been a way to repair the family name, which was tarnished when his father, who died in 2020, and his brother Brent served jail time for fraud.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 13 June 2025
But his actions drove up his unpopularity and tarnished the brand of his electric vehicle company Tesla.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 May 2025
Sheikh Hasina’s place in that history has been tarnished, probably irrevocably.
—Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 18 June 2025
For Cassity, turning the cemetery into an asset to the community has been a way to repair the family name, which was tarnished when his father, who died in 2020, and his brother Brent served jail time for fraud.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 13 June 2025
But his actions drove up his unpopularity and tarnished the brand of his electric vehicle company Tesla.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 May 2025
Sheikh Hasina’s place in that history has been tarnished, probably irrevocably.
—Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
Verb
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When Maris slammed his 61st home run to surpass Ruth, many Yankee fans, the media and Ford Frick, baseball’s commissioner at the time, said the accomplishment was tainted.—
Gary Stoller,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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In the filing, Taylor argued that a TV episode about the case has the potential to taint the jury pool.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
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They were marred by injuries throughout the season, having entered the season with somewhat high expectations.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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Once a peaceful area for walking and cycling, it’s now marred by dilapidated vehicles, trash and environmental hazards — posing serious health and safety concerns.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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But with Victoria’s Secret, Super inherited a beleaguered brand stained by upheaval and scandal.—
Alicia Adamczyk,
Fortune,
28 June 2025
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White signaled cleanliness, leisure and a house filled with staff who could get those pesky grass stains out.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Still, no amount of artistic success could heal the rift that had poisoned the group.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
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The press, like the government and the judiciary, is part of a system that’s poisoned from within.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Scientists had expected that radiation from the magnetic field of Uranus would darken the trailing hemispheres of its moons, but an analysis of the surfaces of Uranus’ four major moons — Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon — found the opposite.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
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While the Village itself skirted much physical damage, its storefronts have stood empty for weeks upon weeks, their windows darkened.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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