as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
spoiled milk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or chiefly British spoilt
1
as in tainted
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
too much coddling will spoil the child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition
the meat has spoiled
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damaged
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 indulged
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spoiled
Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
Check the expiration dates, especially for ingredients like spices and leavening agents that might not look spoiled but can lose their potency, and toss any expired or unwanted items.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2026
This poses a problem for modern restagings—the big twist is pretty much spoiled.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Meals lose nuance, familiar places feel strangely distant, and critical warning signals like smoke, gas or spoiled food become harder to register.
—New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026
The United Center cheers were nearly spoiled when Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the game-winner for an offside penalty.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
The middle of three holiday games finds Minnesota out of contention and relegated to a spoiler role here -- although Detroit’s playoff hopes are pretty much spoiled and rotten as is.
—Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
Johnson said the losses extended beyond spoiled meat, hitting his business during one of the busiest weekends of the year.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
This includes materials like leaves, stems, peels, seeds, and unripe or spoiled fruit, most of which are considered low-value waste despite being rich in energy-dense compounds that can be converted into fuel.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
Chief on the film’s mind is what happens when the relative innocence of that blush of first infatuation — neither boy seems particularly troubled by his proclivity — is spoiled by outside forces, like family and the church.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Brooklyn pushed the Boston Celtics to the limit Friday night at Barclays Center, but a pair of overtime breakdowns spoiled a gritty effort in a 130-126 double-overtime loss.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Max Nessling did pull one back for Derby in the second half of extra time but the night wasn’t spoiled for United or the Rooney family.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
But what unfolded from that moment on Wednesday night probably wasn’t how Arenas or any Trojan would have envisioned it, as Northwestern, a team previously winless in the Big Ten, spoiled the star freshman’s debut and left USC spiraling with a 74-68 defeat.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Will Smith scored in his second consecutive game after missing a month because of injury, and the San Jose Sharks spoiled Matthew Tkachuk's season debut by beating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers 4-1 on Monday night in a game highlighted by a rare goalie fight.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Signs That Leeks Have Gone Bad There are a few things to look for to know if leeks have spoiled.
—Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the hushed ending of the Adagio was spoiled by immediate applause.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Why Gasket Maintenance Is Essential A dirty gasket leads to deterioration of the seal, which can cause temperature fluctuations, spoiled food, and bacterial growth.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
Check the expiration dates, especially for ingredients like spices and leavening agents that might not look spoiled but can lose their potency, and toss any expired or unwanted items.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2026
This poses a problem for modern restagings—the big twist is pretty much spoiled.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Meals lose nuance, familiar places feel strangely distant, and critical warning signals like smoke, gas or spoiled food become harder to register.
—New Atlas, 12 Jan. 2026
The United Center cheers were nearly spoiled when Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the game-winner for an offside penalty.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
The middle of three holiday games finds Minnesota out of contention and relegated to a spoiler role here -- although Detroit’s playoff hopes are pretty much spoiled and rotten as is.
—Miami Herald, 23 Dec. 2025
Johnson said the losses extended beyond spoiled meat, hitting his business during one of the busiest weekends of the year.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025
This includes materials like leaves, stems, peels, seeds, and unripe or spoiled fruit, most of which are considered low-value waste despite being rich in energy-dense compounds that can be converted into fuel.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
Fans were spoiled with 12 tracks of retro-inspired, plushy pop — and as the rollout suggested, the tracks painted a greater picture of Carpenter’s arduous dating experience, brought to life with production and writing support from acclaimed collaborators Jack Antonoff, John Ryan and Amy Allen.
—Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
Chief on the film’s mind is what happens when the relative innocence of that blush of first infatuation — neither boy seems particularly troubled by his proclivity — is spoiled by outside forces, like family and the church.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026
Brooklyn pushed the Boston Celtics to the limit Friday night at Barclays Center, but a pair of overtime breakdowns spoiled a gritty effort in a 130-126 double-overtime loss.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Max Nessling did pull one back for Derby in the second half of extra time but the night wasn’t spoiled for United or the Rooney family.
—Chris McKenna, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026
But what unfolded from that moment on Wednesday night probably wasn’t how Arenas or any Trojan would have envisioned it, as Northwestern, a team previously winless in the Big Ten, spoiled the star freshman’s debut and left USC spiraling with a 74-68 defeat.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Will Smith scored in his second consecutive game after missing a month because of injury, and the San Jose Sharks spoiled Matthew Tkachuk's season debut by beating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers 4-1 on Monday night in a game highlighted by a rare goalie fight.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Signs That Leeks Have Gone Bad There are a few things to look for to know if leeks have spoiled.
—Riley Wofford, Martha Stewart, 20 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, the hushed ending of the Adagio was spoiled by immediate applause.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoiled
Adjective
-
Fruit flies will still find rotten food thrown in the trash and drink cans that still contain liquid, so keep a lid on the bins for extra protection.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Thick ice is rotten after rain.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Both the original news reporting and police investigation would be tainted by these sexist views.—
Nathan Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fifty-six days later, homicide investigators arrive at Oliver’s apartment to find an unidentified body—brutally murdered and intentionally decomposed.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The body was decomposed, a fire official said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
You could get hurt, and the appliance could be damaged beyond repair.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Two years after opening, a fire heavily damaged the restaurant.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The custodian of the maison’s some 20,000 documents, fragments, and objects is the effervescent Sophie Rouart, who indulged me in pulling any style of my choosing.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Seibert’s niece, said her uncle indulged his love of travel the past three years, even going on a road trip to his old haunts in Washington, Idaho and Montana.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors allege Richins poisoned her husband with a cocktail laced with illicit fentanyl while the couple was celebrating at their home in March 2022.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In early 2025, Milwaukee discovered that lead paint had poisoned at least four students in its public schools.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Politically, the regime has rotted from within, discarding, discrediting, or detaining its own kind.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
-
That includes money to replace a lot of wood that rotted away due to holes in the roof and walls.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The annual loss for California marked the first yearly decline for the state since March 2021, according to the EDD, a period marred by severe job losses that arose from an array of business shutdowns and economic dislocations as a result of the pandemic.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Geothermal energy solutions have been around for a while, though, and have been marred by location specificity, high water usage, and high initial costs.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spoiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoiled. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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