blemishing

verb

present participle of blemish
1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of a scratch blemished the finish on the car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blemishing
  1. marring
  2. damaging
  3. tainting
  4. injuring
  5. spoiling
  6. crippling
  7. staining
  8. compromising
Verb
  • The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • The 2025 decision came after the group claimed responsibility for breaking into a major air base, RAF Brize Norton, northwest of London, and damaging aircraft.
    — Inaya Folarin Iman, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In October 2025, Baja California’s prosecutor said a drone dropped homemade explosive devices at an anti-kidnapping prosecutor’s office in Tijuana, damaging four vehicles but causing no injuries.
    — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of damaging
Verb
  • Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For all intents and purposes, an unknown actor can wade unburdened into the depths of Bond, able to transform without a viewer’s prior expectation tainting the image of 007.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Definition of tainting
Verb
  • Monday's attack came a day after a Russian drone struck the village of Pisochyn in the Kharkiv district, killing three people and injuring nine others, including children, according to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The attack on Saturday was deadlier, with strikes killing 12 people and injuring over 300 others.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of injuring
Verb
  • Alongside Stonestreet’s return, Ritter is also back in the Dexter universe, but the cast and crew were more careful about not spoiling how.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Without spoiling the plot, there’s a dispiriting note at the end of the film as text on-screen informs us that some very high percentage of Americans get their news from Facebook to this day.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoiling
Verb
  • The flip side is that the state suffers crippling deficits when the market tanks, as during the Global Financial Crisis.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In the days after the ceasefire broke down, the Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi shipping, and launched attacks crippling Saudi Arabia’s oil export infrastructure.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of crippling
Verb
  • Hydrogen peroxide acts as a mild disinfectant that kills mold and bacteria and is very helpful for light staining.
    — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Use only white, clear or purple products on your hair to avoid staining.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of staining
Verb
  • Researchers at the University of California San Diego and Toyota Research Institute of North America have developed a fluorine-free binder that could make lithium-ion batteries easier to manufacture and recycle without compromising performance.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned the president for potentially compromising the safety of their cities.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of compromising
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

blemishes
blemishing
blench
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Cite this Entry

“Blemishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blemishing. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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