as in staining
to make dirty
she dirtied her new sneakers when she splashed in the puddle
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Recent Examples of dirtying
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
Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.
—Adam Roy, Outside, 28 Dec. 2025
Amazon shoppers are also going after this top-selling nonstick frying pan that’s great for eggs, chicken breasts, and other hard-to-flip foods, as well as this immersion blender that can churn soups and sauces into a creamy texture without dirtying another vessel.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2026
Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.
—Adam Roy, Outside, 28 Dec. 2025
Amazon shoppers are also going after this top-selling nonstick frying pan that’s great for eggs, chicken breasts, and other hard-to-flip foods, as well as this immersion blender that can churn soups and sauces into a creamy texture without dirtying another vessel.
—Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirtying
Verb
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Use place mats or tablecloths on your kitchen table to keep food spills, condensation from drinks, and utensils from marring or staining the surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
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And the incident was one of four mechanical problems with the LCS fleet in a year, staining the reputation of the ships’ reliability.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
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And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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LeBron James loves messing with that nemesis named Father Time.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
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He was seen during his Tuesday practice round messing with his shoe and sock on his right foot before ultimately calling it quits.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Also on the good side of things is Sean Bell’s lanky Sir Robin, the not-quite-so-brave, armor-soiling knight.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
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On TikTok, as The Washington Post has reported, some creators are making $5,000 a month using AI tools to write scripts and animate extremely dumb viral videos where old men talk about soiling themselves.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
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Social media was full of people accusing Canada of sullying the great sport and sportsmanship of curling.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But Ehlers has given Carolina a newfound level of offensive depth, especially given he’s meshed surprisingly well with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, two veteran checkers who have been mucking and grinding for years on a team that does that better than anyone.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
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In retirement, he’s gone back to that childhood, mucking the stalls and helping care for a menagerie that includes two horses, 10 mini goats, two mini pigs, a pair of horses and a bunch of chickens and dogs and cats.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
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Kelly believes a book like this hasn’t been written before because people weren’t ready to hear the truth – as though acknowledging these famous people’s complete life experiences would be besmirching their legacies.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirtying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirtying. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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