1
as in tainting
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
mar a politician's reputation with scurrilous rumors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the once glossy surface is now marred by numerous small pits and abrasions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of marring
Including playoffs, Mayfield turned the ball over more than anyone else from 2023 through 2024, marring an otherwise fantastic two seasons in Tampa Bay.
—
Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.
—William Roberson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.
—William Roberson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marring
Verb
-
In its new filing, Mangione’s defense team expressed concern about tainting the pool of prospective jurors.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In the end, when Malcolm pulls out a sword on him, Brian is given little choice but to kill Malcolm in front of Ellen in the ensuing battle, tainting the start of the happy couple’s life together.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Many on the left have been in an uproar of late, accusing Trump of damaging White House history as construction begins on a new White House ballroom.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
People have filmed themselves shaving their heads, damaging property, ripping up passports and setting themselves on fire, The Sun reported, citing Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Without spoiling anything, Liberation’s ending doesn't quite stick the landing either.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
-
For the party’s new leadership, running Libertarian candidates and providing an outlet for their voters’ political perspective isn’t spoiling.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
He was officially charged with boating under the influence, including causing the death of Mallory and seriously injuring two other passengers.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Under state statute, the owner of a dog is liable for the full amount of damages their animal has caused by injuring or causing injury to a person, domestic animal or property.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Remove any heavy objects from the sides of your tub, as these items can cause chips or cracking that can contribute to staining.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Additionally, these shoes are machine washable, so don’t worry about staining the gorgeous light pink shoes on your next adventure!—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Last year’s Camerimage was engulfed in controversy after festival founder and CEO Marek Żydowicz published an Op-Ed that appeared to argue that admitting the work of more female cinematographers would mean compromising on artistic quality.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Yoon believes that by being so focused on product and not compromising on innovation has resulted in high customer loyalty, which in turn has helped fuel sustained growth.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Our planet is darkening too, as Earth's reflectivity, or albedo, is dropping to near-record lows due to melting ice and reduced snow cover that expose darker surfaces that absorb even more heat.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Since then, they've been forced to work remotely — at a time when the government was doling out return-to-office mandates — preventing access to labs and crippling the center's mission of embedding NASA climate scientists within international academia.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
On December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,403 Americans and crippling much of the Pacific Fleet.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Marring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marring. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share