as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
that rare political campaign that wasn't marred by the taint of false accusations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to poison
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy a tendency toward conceitedness taints the athlete's status as a role model
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
smog has long tainted the air of the city, making it difficult to breathe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taint
Kale Williams, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025
These were the years in which capitalism shed its pitiless light on the absurd British soul, with its deep striations of caste and station, its postcolonial taint, most of all its perverted emotional core, full of love and loathing for its own extremes of domination and servitude.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
The role of politics Accusations that human rights advocacy is tainted by domestic politics aren’t new.
—Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Noun
Driving the news: Researchers from Oregon State sent a bunch of Oregon pinot — some with smoke taint, some smoke-free — over to New Zealand for a taste test.
—Kale Williams, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025
These were the years in which capitalism shed its pitiless light on the absurd British soul, with its deep striations of caste and station, its postcolonial taint, most of all its perverted emotional core, full of love and loathing for its own extremes of domination and servitude.
—Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
About 26,500 of those who consume food tainted by salmonella are hospitalized.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
The role of politics Accusations that human rights advocacy is tainted by domestic politics aren’t new.
—Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taint
Noun
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Dorai Home Dish Pad – Quick-Dry Diatomite Stone Drying Mat for Kitchen Counter Compressed diatomaceous earth will also hold onto stains, which makes sense given the fact that its job is to absorb moisture.—
Emily Farris,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 June 2025
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Many of the vessels were sunk in very deep water, and a reconnaissance mission would require a significant amount of time and funds, by which point the more than 80-year-old wrecks could be little more than rust stains on the seafloor.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 June 2025
Verb
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As the film unfolds, Wilson finds out that Sterns, the movie's villain, has been the mastermind behind the entire plot and has been poisoning Ross with gamma rays via pills for years.—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
28 May 2025
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Intermediately, because a member of Ethan’s team, Claire (Emmanuelle Béart) has poisoned Donloe, which results in Donloe having some pretty intense gastrointestinal reactions.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
27 May 2025
Verb
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These efforts play a valuable role in addressing the plastic already polluting our oceans.—
Rob Kaplan,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Runoff from roads, factories, and dumping grounds can also pollute water sources used for crops.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Vietnam is a wound for many Americans: a bloody quagmire, a blot on our conscience, a war that claimed more than 58,000 American lives and shattered faith at home in the good intentions of the government.—
Leo Tran,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2025
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Finally, blot the eyebrows dry with a cotton pad or tissue, and voila!—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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In my home state of California, a giant scandal erupted in June 2024 when the Los Angeles Times and Weed Week reported that many cannabis brands were contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals despite lab testing being a big part of the regulatory framework for legalization.—
Andrew DeAngelo,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In 1924, contaminated oysters killed 150 people in the deadliest outbreak of food poisoning in United States history.—
Garritt C. Van Dyk,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Noun
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The transition to the name MASH was done to take away some of the stigma associated with older terminology.—
Suchandrima Bhowmik,
Health,
31 May 2025
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Millennials courageously started talking openly about therapy, anxiety, and depression, breaking decades of stigma.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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However, relatively decent growth fueled by Putin's record military spending has been marred by inflation and a worker shortage impacted by those fleeing the draft and troop losses in Ukraine as experts warn of longer terms problems for the economy.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
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Albania, which has started full membership negotiations with the European Union, has been plagued in its post-communist era with corruption that has marred its democratic, economic and social development.—
Llazar Semini,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taint. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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