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
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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
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Leaks, ceiling stains or granules in gutters may signal damaged or missing asphalt shingles.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025
Wonderskin Wonder Blading All-Day Lip Stain Lip stains could be classified as the trending beauty product of the year.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Professionals can life extremely stubborn stains with their professional equipment to get your mattress clean and safe to sleep on once again.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
From stubborn mystery stains to lingering odors, secondhand shopping often comes with its fair share of surprises.
—Essence, 5 Nov. 2025
Why do buyers see frays and stains as signatures of value?
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
Stubborn stains, such as makeup, grass, and nail polish, can also benefit from a hot water wash.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
Leaks, ceiling stains or granules in gutters may signal damaged or missing asphalt shingles.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025
Wonderskin Wonder Blading All-Day Lip Stain Lip stains could be classified as the trending beauty product of the year.
—Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Professionals can life extremely stubborn stains with their professional equipment to get your mattress clean and safe to sleep on once again.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
From stubborn mystery stains to lingering odors, secondhand shopping often comes with its fair share of surprises.
—Essence, 5 Nov. 2025
Why do buyers see frays and stains as signatures of value?
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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
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The loss of this chlorophyll exposes yellow pigments that have been there in the leaves all along.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, the battery’s positive electrode, uses Prussian Blue analogs, which are non-toxic iron compounds first discovered as pigments more than 200 years ago.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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How Deepfakes Became a New Corporate Threat The report paints a picture of deepfake fraud maturing into a repeatable business model.—
Adam Mills,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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The data paints a picture of an urgent drive to develop capacity for new and more sophisticated missiles.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dim sunlight smudges skies for only a few hours in the depth of winter.—
Tom Vanden Brook,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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People saw that with their own eyes, and slowly, these stigmas started to go away.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
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As a source of livelihood, Resh Lakish raised crocus plants for saffron, harvesting their flowers’ stigmas that constitute the spice.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Manufactured in Korea, the products don’t contain synthetic colors, chemicals, or harmful dyes.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
6 Nov. 2025
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Normal hair dyes are not suitable for pets, but Aird used pet-safe products and followed all-important safety rules.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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First, the molds are cleaned and waxed, then the staff will review the work order to understand which colors the customer wants.—
Kristin Shaw,
Popular Science,
24 Sep. 2025
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The survivors were scattered around the world, and even over a century later, the tragedy still colors their view of their ancestral region.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
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Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stains. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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