spoiling 1 of 3

adjective

as in spoiled

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spoiling

2 of 3

noun

as in rotting

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spoiling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of spoil
1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable too much coddling will spoil the child

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2
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition the meat has spoiled

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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

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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

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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
  1. spoiled
  2. decay
  3. marring
  4. decomposing
  5. damaging
  6. indulging
  7. rotten
  8. disintegration
Adjective
  • Grocery stores can use the 2D codes to remove about-to-expire food and lock out spoiled items from getting rung up at checkout.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Lineage, meanwhile, said it's removed 93% of the more than 80 million pounds of spoiled food from the facility.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoiled
Noun
  • This is intended to minimize degradation, reducing contrast decay and improving light projection reliability, ultimately extending the screen's lifespan.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • These numbers allowed researchers to rule out standard organic decay or high-temperature methane breakdown as the source.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 20 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
  • The strikes hit 12 locations across Kyiv’s Darnytskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Solomianskyi districts, damaging residential buildings, a medical facility and an educational institution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Oracle, for its part, argues that Project Jupiter will create massive investment for the region without damaging the environment.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of damaging
Verb
  • 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
  • Here was a doctor borrowing the language of a fast food brand while encouraging people not to fear indulging.
    — Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of indulging
Adjective
  • Neighbors said the rotten-egg smell has gotten worse over the last couple of weeks, even trailing to apartments across the street.
    — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The inspection followed a hunger strike by detainees, who in a letter, complained about rotten or worm-infested food, medical neglect, and being coerced into signing deportation orders.
    — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotten
Noun
  • 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
  • Engineers expected the ship’s life to end with a fiery disintegration after toppling over, just as past Starships have done following splashdown.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of disintegration

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Spoiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoiling. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of spoiling for Spanish Speakers

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