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
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Garments with significant wear, damage and heavy stains, and all intimates are directed to end-of-use streams, including recycling, downcycling and responsible disposal.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
The photos show dust, scratches, stains and streaking from rainwater but Edison officials say the stainless steel canisters have not suffered damage or stress corrosion cracking that could pose a safety risk to the public.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Follow bite adjustments carefully; high-polish finishes resist stains, but coffee/wine habits still matter—ask for a realistic maintenance plan.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
For very stubborn food stains, Booth has had success with Scrub Daddy PowerPaste.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Garments with significant wear, damage and heavy stains, and all intimates are directed to end-of-use streams, including recycling, downcycling and responsible disposal.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
The photos show dust, scratches, stains and streaking from rainwater but Edison officials say the stainless steel canisters have not suffered damage or stress corrosion cracking that could pose a safety risk to the public.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2025
Follow bite adjustments carefully; high-polish finishes resist stains, but coffee/wine habits still matter—ask for a realistic maintenance plan.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 22 Oct. 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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The new book is evocative and paints an intimate portrait of the way Andres likes to eat, while telling stories of Spanish food culture through Andrés home cooking.—
Jamila Robinson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
31 Oct. 2025
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Aileen Wuornos, in her own words Throughout the interview with Hirst, Wuornos paints herself as a victim, describing a rough childhood raised by her strict, devout Christian grandparents.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
30 Oct. 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 7 Nov. 2025.
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