as in discoloration
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painting
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in blackening
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of staining
IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
Using chemical imaging techniques, researchers attempted to determine whether the staining was intentional or accidental.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Similarly, mold that is not treated may spread into and through the wall or ceiling and causing new staining to appear months or even weeks later.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 27 Jan. 2026
This will avoid causing damage to the sealant and potential staining.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Critically, the ancient teeth from betel nut chewers are distinguishable because of red staining.
—Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 19 Aug. 2025
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
If staining persists, Flores recommends using a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to gently rub the affected area.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026
Studies have found that embarrassment around menstruation remains common, with many girls reporting anxiety about leaks, staining or being noticed by peers.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
So, Navon and her husband undertook a full restoration, sanding and staining them a honey-oak hue that warms up the home from the ground up.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 31 Mar. 2026
Drum roll, please, for Kulfi’s innovative creamy, staining lip liner.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
The Signature Round Deep Oven offers plenty of features that justify the investment, like its easy-to-clean enamel that resists chipping, dulling, and staining, a tight-fitting lid that helps circulate steam, and an ergonomic knob for effortless lifting.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
By harnessing a particle accelerator to generate extraordinarily bright, coherent X-rays, the team was able to capture high-resolution internal anatomy in seconds, without the lengthy staining or other preprocessing steps often required for soft-tissue contrast in standard lab scanners.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
Using chemical imaging techniques, researchers attempted to determine whether the staining was intentional or accidental.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Similarly, mold that is not treated may spread into and through the wall or ceiling and causing new staining to appear months or even weeks later.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 27 Jan. 2026
This will avoid causing damage to the sealant and potential staining.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Critically, the ancient teeth from betel nut chewers are distinguishable because of red staining.
—Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Make sure the deck is completely dry before staining or sealing it.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
If staining persists, Flores recommends using a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol to gently rub the affected area.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026
Studies have found that embarrassment around menstruation remains common, with many girls reporting anxiety about leaks, staining or being noticed by peers.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
So, Navon and her husband undertook a full restoration, sanding and staining them a honey-oak hue that warms up the home from the ground up.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 31 Mar. 2026
Drum roll, please, for Kulfi’s innovative creamy, staining lip liner.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
The Signature Round Deep Oven offers plenty of features that justify the investment, like its easy-to-clean enamel that resists chipping, dulling, and staining, a tight-fitting lid that helps circulate steam, and an ergonomic knob for effortless lifting.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staining
Noun
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As an over-the-counter retinoid, retinol helps accelerate skin cell turnover, which can visibly improve uneven texture, fine lines, and discoloration over time.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
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As an over-the-counter retinoid, retinol helps accelerate skin cell turnover, which can visibly improve uneven texture, fine lines, and discoloration over time.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Other artistic pursuits, from painting landscapes to taking salsa lessons, have similar benefits.—
Keith Wagstaff,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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The failure is its own, and painting this as the creative team not delivering, and alienating Gellar in the process, only makes reviving the franchise that much harder.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The film has also helped resuscitate a dwindling population of ticket-goers hoping for a feel-good escape-hatch picture in the midst of darkening times and popcorn machines.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
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The image below shows the SLS freeing itself of Earth, hauling the Artemis 2 mission to the darkening skies above Florida.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Consider tinting your brows one to two shades darker than your new hair color for a cohesive look.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
11 Mar. 2026
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What was once an elegant, albeit limited interface, has evolved into a highly customizable menu with a sleek, new Liquid Glass design language, free icon and widget placement options, and color-tinting elements that rival those seen on Android.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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After Thursday’s game, Weaver faced questions from reporters as an obvious culprit in spoiling McLean’s masterpiece.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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More specifically — and without spoiling a story that piles the twists as high as the corpses — Pine's an ex-British soldier pulled from his porter duties and recruited to surveil a ruthless arms dealer, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) staying at the hotel.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staining. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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