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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of taint
Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2025
Chapter 7 Delaware Bay Water that Americans rely on for drinking and irrigation under threat from taint of saltwater
Between New Jersey and Delaware, the river gives way to the Delaware Bay, where the water is salty.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2025
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Runoff from cultivation sites may taint the water due to the presence of pesticides.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Noun
In his podcast on The Daily Wire this week, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro cited the taint of the jet deal and called on his listeners to honestly consider its implications.
—Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2025
Chapter 7 Delaware Bay Water that Americans rely on for drinking and irrigation under threat from taint of saltwater
Between New Jersey and Delaware, the river gives way to the Delaware Bay, where the water is salty.
—CBS News, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
Conversely, the painful final months of a relationship can overshadow years of warmth, making the entire story feel tainted.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Runoff from cultivation sites may taint the water due to the presence of pesticides.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taint
Noun
-
Pre-treat any stains with a mild stain remover and blot with a dry white cloth to remove as much stain as possible prior to washing.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This process lifts stains without increasing their surface area, which can be an issue when scrubbing by hand with a cloth or brush.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thousands of multivitamin bottles sold on Amazon and other websites have been recalled over a risk of serious injury or death by poisoning.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
-
During World War II, Husseini became a Nazi collaborator, broadcasting propaganda into the Arab world, touring death camps with his friend Heinrich Himmler, recruiting SS divisions, and hatching a plot to poison Tel Aviv’s water supply.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What To Know The annual $1 billion allocation comes from California's cap-and-invest program, which collects fees from polluting industries.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Farmers overapplying them in their fields can cause nitrogen-laden runoff that pollutes water and the air.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Pretreat any stains with a stain remover of choice and blot with a dry white cloth to remove as much stain prior to washing.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Wipe the area with a cloth dampened with cold water, then blot with a fresh sponge.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Despite Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden being the clear favorites for gold in the 100-meter dash, there are a few others besides Fraser-Pryce who could spoil the party.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, the couple is content to spoil their dog, Bimini, a mini Labradoodle whom Berk first introduced on his Instagram in 2021.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Without rigorous sandboxing or permission boundaries, an agent can accidentally run malicious commands, contaminate data or overload mission-critical systems.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
In late August, contaminated oysters sickened several people in Louisiana, killing two people and sending 22 others to the hospital.—
Mollye Barrows,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Once released, many encounter stigma from employers, landlords, and even their communities, which fosters rejection and shame.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Dozens of commenters on Reddit talk about seeking out care for minors, but most USA TODAY spoke with declined to go on the record for fear of stigma.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The disruptions come amid a WNBA season in which multiple games were marred by the objects making appearances on the court.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Each death was devastating to relatives and friends left behind, and the first decades of the twentieth century were marred by individual grief on a global scale.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taint. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share