SPOILING Synonyms: 373 Similar and Opposite Words

spoiling 1 of 3

adjective

as in spoiled

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spoiling

2 of 3

noun

as in rotting

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Dissimilar Words

spoiling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of spoil

as in marring

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable too much coddling will spoil the child

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as in decomposing

to go through decomposition the meat has spoiled

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as in damaging

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait

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as in indulging

to treat with great or excessive care when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that

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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 spoiling

Noun

Food and drink Wilderness is known for serving polished but healthy modern bush fare that’s tasty and spoiling, but not overly rich. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

Verb

Without spoiling what happens next, the mutants confront Trask, and Mystique assumes his identity to further their mission. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 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 Without spoiling too much, there is a detour on this treasure hunt that leads Diarra and company into Tubi movie situation. — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 Testing by Adam Dolge at Food & Wine found that covering the stem end of a grocery store tomato with tape kept it from spoiling the longest, a full 9 days, while other methods lasted 6 days or less. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026 Without spoiling Gluck’s revised ending, Braun’s version at least understood that choosing someone because society insists your time is running out is a terrific way to trap yourself in a miserable future. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026 Without spoiling the upcoming season, De Oliveira told Fox News Digital what sets the third season apart from the rest. — Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Ballot spoiling was the subject of a 2022 lawsuit brought by a Republican group. — Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 29 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoiling

Adjective

People are throwing out spoiled food and lining up for hot meals, according to reports, while searching for laundromats, working Wi-Fi, cleaning wipes and diapers.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Fridge smells often come from spoiled food and mildew, which can be tackled with vinegar and baking soda.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of spoiled

Noun

In a total power blackout, the plant removes residual decay heat through natural convection rather than emergency electrical pumps or operator intervention.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Waytowich said crime is a symptom of much deeper problems on the north side of Jacksonville, from neighborhood decay to generational trauma and lack of job opportunities.

— Yona Gavino, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of decay

Verb

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

Definition of marring

Verb

But the last inspection was in October, 10 months before dozens of decomposing bodies were found at the South Chicago Chapel funeral home.

— Megan De Mar, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
And just over a year after that, the Morgans landed back in the news after authorities found 56 decomposing corpses inside another one of their businesses, South Deering’s South Chicago Chapel.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of decomposing

Verb

Prosecutors have also charged him with making false statements to investigators about allegedly damaging Mica’s car tires.

— Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Russian drones hit three major distribution centers, destroying depots belonging to a toy store chain and a confectionery company, and damaging another run by an electronics retailer, the companies said.

— Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of damaging

Verb

Remmick, Jimmy Crystal and Larry Lamb share an unrelenting desire to entertain, whether performing music outside a juke joint, indulging amusement with graphic violence or delighting the British reading public with scandal and drama.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Whether the race ever happens, the idea is pure Shaq, a celebrity who's renowned for indulging his passions, of which cars are near the top of the list.

— Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of indulging

Noun

Son of a partisan fighter The son of a World War Two partisan fighter killed in 1945, Mladic was an officer in the old communist Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) when Yugoslavia's disintegration began in 1991.

— Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Slow disintegration also appears in a triptych of videos by Ismail Ghanbari (facilitated by Tala Madani but not credited as a collaboration).

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of disintegration

Cite this Entry

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“Spoiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoiling. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of spoiling

adjective

noun

verb

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