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
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
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
Dave Hage, Literary Hub, 27 May 2025
It’s been 17 years since tainted blood thinner from China injured or killed hundreds of people in the United States, and since then, contaminants and other defects have appeared in a cross section of America’s generic drugs.
—Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Noun
Catholicism offers ritual without the tedium of rationality; anarchism offers revolutionary action against inequality without the taint of materialism, the prospect of personal gain.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
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
Verb
The scene has the pastoral calm of an English landscape painting and gives the impression of a river scarcely touched by progress or tainted by the twentieth century.
—Dave Hage, Literary Hub, 27 May 2025
It’s been 17 years since tainted blood thinner from China injured or killed hundreds of people in the United States, and since then, contaminants and other defects have appeared in a cross section of America’s generic drugs.
—Brandon Roberts, ProPublica, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taint
Noun
-
Your cleaner of choice for stubborn grease, stains, and odors on pots and pans may be half a lemon and salt or baking soda, but take note of the materials they’re made with.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
26 June 2025
-
Lie down on an old towel to protect your surface from oil stains.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Still, no amount of artistic success could heal the rift that had poisoned the group.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
-
The press, like the government and the judiciary, is part of a system that’s poisoned from within.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
The group is also likely to vote in October on whether to impose financial penalties on some polluting vessels.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 June 2025
-
The study found many of these areas remain disconnected from national grids and are highly dependent on costly and polluting diesel generators.—
Jamie Hailstone,
Forbes.com,
11 June 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,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Add a bit more color to the corners of the lips, then use your fingers to blot and blur the edges, as needed.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
4 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
-
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that campylobacter is a type of bacteria that causes diarrheal illness and is usually transmitted through undercooked meat, contaminated food or water, or contact with animals.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
In April, her gym water bottle was allegedly contaminated with cyanide and thallium after her car was broken into, prosecutors said, according to WKOW.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Using a phone to check your email or calendar are secondhand actions for workers, done without any stigma.—
John Schneider,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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This helps reduce stigma and empowers women to seek care that addresses the root causes of their health changes.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
They were marred by injuries throughout the season, having entered the season with somewhat high expectations.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
Sunday night’s game was marred by an injury sustained by the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, who early in the first quarter went down with what would prove to be a torn Achilles tendon.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taint. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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