marring

verb

present participle of mar
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 To prevent a similar war from happening again, Menelaus scarred her face, permanently marring her famous beauty. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026 Lined with live oaks and old-fashioned, busy storefronts, this artsy town on the Gulf of Mexico has no commercial development marring its shoreline. — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026 In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 28 May 2026 Now, her engagement to the most influential eligible Commander in Gilead has been called off, marring her reputation. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026 The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026 Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, along with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, were ejected for fighting, marring what was an intriguing game between the top team in the Eastern Conference and the one featuring the NBA’s longest current win streak. — Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026 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
  1. tainting
  2. damaging
  3. spoiling
  4. injuring
  5. staining
  6. compromising
  7. darkening
  8. crippling
Verb
  • 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
  • District Court Judge Tony Graf ordered measures to prevent the comments by Utah County prosecutor Christopher Ballard from tainting potential jurors should the case go to trial.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 26 June 2026
Definition of tainting
Verb
  • Williamson said protection of county waterways is a major pillar of his campaign, highlighting the dangers of chemical sprays meant to control plants that end up damaging the ecosystem.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The systems moving in could potentially bring severe weather, large hail, damaging winds and flooding, said NWS Indy meteorologist Matthew Eckhoff.
    — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of damaging
Verb
  • Decades later, the government was still buying surplus cheese and storing it in vast underground caves in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kansas, warehouses cool enough to hold the cheese for years without spoiling.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The heat won’t be the only thing spoiling New Yorkers’ fun in the sun this weekend.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoiling
Verb
  • The trip changed his life when terrorist Rashid Baz opened fire on the van, murdering 16-year-old Ari Halberstam, and injuring several others.
    — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • During one memorable moment, a powerful wave crashed over a sea wall in Ventura, injuring eight people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of injuring
Verb
  • The closest look-alike, the black staining polypore mushroom, bruises to a black color when handled.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The performance material is made with a blend of polyester, viscose, and linen blend to help prevent staining or wear and tear over the years.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of staining
Verb
  • The best Tech leaders align Sales and Finance without compromising speed or control.
    — Ashish Srimal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The monitor also has HP Eye Ease, which keeps your eyes from straining while not compromising on visual fidelity.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of compromising
Verb
  • During a total eclipse, the moon completely covers the face of the sun, darkening the sky and revealing just the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona.
    — Devika Rao, TheWeek, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of darkening the sky and unveiling the sun's signature circular ring, this time around the moon will only partly cover the sun, giving it a crescent shape, according to NASA.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of darkening
Verb
  • Strikes over unpaid salaries, violent attacks on clinics and public mistrust fueled by misinformation are crippling fragile response efforts, as workers like Bondele keep showing up.
    — Prosper Heri Ngorora, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Malawi, an African nation, faced severe 18-hour blackouts after Tropical Storm Ana destroyed a major hydropower dam in 2022, crippling its grid and highlighting reliance on intermittent solar and expensive diesel.
    — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of crippling

Browse Nearby Words

marries
marring
marrow
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marring. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on marring

Nglish: Translation of marring for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All