1
as in blots
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the stain of this cowardly act would haunt him for the rest of his career
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in taints
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 paints
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in smudges
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stains
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Pre-treat stains on your oven mitts and throw them in the washing machine in warm or hot water with the towels.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Wood stains do not repel carpenter bees.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
This can result in unpleasant odors, stains, and even mold and mildew growth.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
This mixture attacks stains a bit stronger than the water solution.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Season with salt and lots of pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often, until the turmeric stains the mixture a wonderful golden color and the liquid starts to steam, about 3 minutes.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Blood still regularly stains the floors of the Coliseum’s rings.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Photos showed large, blue stains on the counter and floor, indicating blood had been cleaned from those areas.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Pre-treat stains on your oven mitts and throw them in the washing machine in warm or hot water with the towels.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
Wood stains do not repel carpenter bees.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 May 2026
This can result in unpleasant odors, stains, and even mold and mildew growth.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Verb
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
The piercing doesn't necessarily damage the trees, but their excrement, which is high in sugar, stains the trees and blocks photosynthesis, which eventually suffocates the trees, the researchers said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 9 Feb. 2026
This mixture attacks stains a bit stronger than the water solution.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Season with salt and lots of pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often, until the turmeric stains the mixture a wonderful golden color and the liquid starts to steam, about 3 minutes.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2025
Blood still regularly stains the floors of the Coliseum’s rings.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stains
Noun
-
The songs spread outward from Morris’ small voice like paper towel blots.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The shampoo uses highly concentrated violet pigments (which give it that signature purple hue) to neutralize yellow tones on contact.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In simpler terms, this lobster carries two distinct sets of genetic instructions — one set controlling the color pigments on one side of its shell, the other controlling the opposite side.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sarcasm taints the question but doesn’t invalidate it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The data actually paints a surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind, proving that our baseline is a profound desire to understand the world and help each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
-
The map sequence above paints a vivid picture of Irish language retreat.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Cleaning dirt and smudges off window glass helps sunlight penetrate into your home and will boost the amount of light that’s available to your houseplants.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Dim sunlight smudges skies for only a few hours in the depth of winter.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
When tetraploid and diploid plants are crossed, pollen from the diploids is brushed onto the stigmas of the tetraploids.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
-
The market — deliberately not referred to as a pantry to slash stigmas around emergency food — opened in February through a partnership between City Colleges of Chicago and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Action on vaping and other tobacco policies has largely taken a backseat under FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who has focused on a slate of other priorities, including restricting COVID-19 vaccines, phasing out artificial food dyes and speeding up approval of some innovative drugs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
-
Typical formulas contain around 2 grams of sugar per serving, with no artificial dyes or sweeteners, and the brand offers both caffeinated and caffeine-free versions to suit different routines.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
And two, baking soda is an indiscriminate weed killer that poisons the soil.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stains. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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