as in spoiled
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as in rotting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
too much coddling will spoil the child
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
the meat has spoiled
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of spoiling
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
South Florida’s bar scene is constantly spoiling us.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Two Rapids offseason additions paid dividends in a 2-0 win in their home opener against the Portland Timbers on Saturday afternoon at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, spoiling the homecoming of longtime Homegrown Cole Bassett.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2026
Hanging feeders in light shade prevents the nectar from spoiling as rapidly, although nectar should be replaced every three to five days.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Feb. 2026
Much of the damage that the larger amount would cause, especially the impact on the pond and spoiling the preserve, would still happen under the new plan.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Petrecca was thrust into the commentary role, replacing Auro Bulbarelli, who removed himself after spoiling the surprise arrival of Mattarella aboard one of the city’s trams.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s used to prevent fats and oils in food from spoiling and can show up in products such as frozen meals, breakfast cereals, cookies, ice cream and some meat products.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Best Spot to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder Hang feeders in the shade to prevent nectar from spoiling.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
The spa With its indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy pool giving onto a pleasant sun terrace as well as an art-deco style indoor pool with an adjacent bar, this is a spoiling spa whatever the season.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
But Ryan put the game away with a 7-0 spurt, spoiling Glenn's first trip to the state finals.
—Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
South Florida’s bar scene is constantly spoiling us.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Two Rapids offseason additions paid dividends in a 2-0 win in their home opener against the Portland Timbers on Saturday afternoon at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, spoiling the homecoming of longtime Homegrown Cole Bassett.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2026
Hanging feeders in light shade prevents the nectar from spoiling as rapidly, although nectar should be replaced every three to five days.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Feb. 2026
Much of the damage that the larger amount would cause, especially the impact on the pond and spoiling the preserve, would still happen under the new plan.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Petrecca was thrust into the commentary role, replacing Auro Bulbarelli, who removed himself after spoiling the surprise arrival of Mattarella aboard one of the city’s trams.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s used to prevent fats and oils in food from spoiling and can show up in products such as frozen meals, breakfast cereals, cookies, ice cream and some meat products.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Best Spot to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder Hang feeders in the shade to prevent nectar from spoiling.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoiling
Adjective
-
Smart, capable and quick-witted, Toha’s current joy comes from her relationship with Nelly (Khadija Ahmed), the spoiled granddaughter of her employer (Hanan Youssef), a tetchy, elderly diabetic.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Trump may be a little spoiled, as the Republican-majority high court has supported most of his positions.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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Mushrooms also thrive in decomposing wood mulch.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
To prevent the fallow area from turning into a weed patch, cover it with agricultural-grade plastic or a thick layer of slowly decomposing mulch such as wood chips.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are expected across parts of Ohio on Saturday as a cold front moves through the region.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This will help protect them from a later cold snap damaging the fresh, new growth.—
Wayne Hobbs,
Florida Times-Union,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As Yasmin takes the reins of Whitney’s blackmail empire, the rotten core of the whole capitalist system is laid bare.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
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Residents have been suffering with structural issues, water leaks, and rotten floors, and the residents of the middle tier of the building were ordered to vacate with two days' notice in June of last year, Preservation Chicago said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The subsurface storage reserve acts as the ultimate shock absorber against price spike and the decay of petroleum reserves due to poorly managed well shut-in during crisis.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The creation of a tiny black hole would only lead to its immediate decay.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spoiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoiling. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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