1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
too much coddling will spoil the child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
the meat has spoiled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in spoiled
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in rotting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spoiling
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Soundcore reckons that the screen's large footprint should help prevent the odd gust of wind from spoiling the yard or pool party.
—New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2025
The point isn’t to stop them from spoiling it.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Following last season’s reunion-spoiling revelations about his father (ex-CIA operative Frank Harkness) and his father’s past (raising children to be super-soldiers), the galloping young stallion (played by Jack Lowden) hasn’t been able to screw his head on straight.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025
But the battery also more than erases the size and weight advantage of the Air compared to Apple’s other phones, spoiling the Air's light weight and thin profile.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
With Trump seemingly on side, Nandy knows GB News and Farage are spoiling for a fight.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
Unplugging these large appliances risks spoiling everything inside.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
He is remembered by his family as a loving and generous person, particularly when spoiling his nieces, nephews and younger sibling on Christmas and birthdays.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Arsenal host Chelsea in the coming weeks, a two-pronged opportunity for both spoiling and redemption.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Soundcore reckons that the screen's large footprint should help prevent the odd gust of wind from spoiling the yard or pool party.
—New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2025
The point isn’t to stop them from spoiling it.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Following last season’s reunion-spoiling revelations about his father (ex-CIA operative Frank Harkness) and his father’s past (raising children to be super-soldiers), the galloping young stallion (played by Jack Lowden) hasn’t been able to screw his head on straight.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025
But the battery also more than erases the size and weight advantage of the Air compared to Apple’s other phones, spoiling the Air's light weight and thin profile.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
With Trump seemingly on side, Nandy knows GB News and Farage are spoiling for a fight.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025
Unplugging these large appliances risks spoiling everything inside.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
He is remembered by his family as a loving and generous person, particularly when spoiling his nieces, nephews and younger sibling on Christmas and birthdays.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoiling
Verb
-
An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Mushrooms also thrive in decomposing wood mulch.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
-
This prompts the straw to start decomposing, ensuring the bales won’t overheat and burn your plants later.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Lifting them out of the ground requires some gentleness to avoid damaging them.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Always dilute apple cider vinegar with water and drink through a straw to avoid damaging tooth enamel and irritating the esophagus.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
My Rimowa cabin carry-on has been a reliable favorite for years—surprisingly spacious and perfect for indulging my overpacking tendencies.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
-
How did Chanel maintain her gamine figure while regularly indulging there?—
Leslie Camhi,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Many careers in prizefighting are defined by economic hardship, spoiled relationships, and brain damage.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Their party gets spoiled when a CCTV camera operator calls to inform the police.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rahmani, the former prosecutor, said statements by Patel and other Justice Department officials could raise concerns about tainting the jury pool in a future trial.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
-
And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president's achievements.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Garbage, rotting food with bugs and clothing stacked close to the ceiling were also seen in most areas of the house.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Kirk Cousins is rotting on the Falcons’ bench.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Family Dollar store in the 3700 block of Broadway Boulevard partially collapsed July 27, killing one man and injuring others.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
-
This season, Lewis didn’t even make it to the opener, injuring his right hamstring late in spring training.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spoiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoiling. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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