1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to paint
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dirty
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blot
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the stain of this cowardly act would haunt him for the rest of his career
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stain
Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026
There are a few options to deal with old brickwork, including cleaning and repairing the brick, painting or staining the brick, or even installing new siding or stucco over the brick.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 13 Mar. 2026
Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
There was no apparent crime scene, no police tape or obvious blood stains to be found.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stain
Verb
Then the wood must dry, then be sanded, stained and carved.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 15 Mar. 2026
There are a few options to deal with old brickwork, including cleaning and repairing the brick, painting or staining the brick, or even installing new siding or stucco over the brick.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
According to Radar's handler, the dog detected the odor of human remains around that red stain Hamlin had seen.
—Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
There was no apparent crime scene, no police tape or obvious blood stains to be found.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stain
Verb
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America is not immune from these problems, as the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 was tainted with a bribery scandal.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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Her authentic affection for Stephen is tainted by her disappointment over his social status.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The current and former officials, some of whom asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters during an active conflict, paint a portrait of an understaffed government workforce struggling to execute the president's agenda.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
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Years in the making At the center of the prosecution is a sweeping federal indictment that paints a stark picture of Venezuela’s upper echelons of power, alleging that for more than two decades the country’s leadership turned the machinery of the state into a vehicle for narcotics trafficking.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the blot on Sacramento State’s basketball resume is the road record.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The left-back has started 123 of the last 125 games and 86 of the last 87, with the blot on his card arriving late last season when manager Oliver Glasner rested key players after Palace won the FA Cup.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Made in Italy, the handcrafted Baked Collection features intense pigments whipped into a decadent cream, then baked on terracotta tiles into a powder to ripen color vibrancy.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Plus, the new ultramarine and green pigments are better suited for deep skin tones, bringing the range to 44 diverse shades.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
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Jimmy Carter Carter's presidency was marred by domestic and foreign-policy challenges.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Decades of focus on low orbit and deep-space scientific discoveries have colored people’s view of what NASA does.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
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Choose strawberries that are brightly colored, without mold or soft spots.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Grace, her white lace dress blackened with blood, is smoking a cigarette outside of an incinerated mansion that belongs to her in-laws, the Le Domas, who are all dead.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stain. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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