as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in poisoned
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 contaminated
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tainted
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
The severity of the damage usually depends on how much of the tainted gas drivers pumped, Inslee said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Cory Turner, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
There, Quenneville’s triumphs were later tainted by an organizational scandal that left him barred by the league for several seasons prior to joining the Ducks.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Adjective
Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
The severity of the damage usually depends on how much of the tainted gas drivers pumped, Inslee said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Now, the school is feeling some of the same competitive pressure its public school neighbors have been feeling – because, in Cedar Rapids' new, competitive marketplace, its product has gone from shiny and new to questionable and perhaps tainted.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 19 Apr. 2026
There, Quenneville’s triumphs were later tainted by an organizational scandal that left him barred by the league for several seasons prior to joining the Ducks.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainted
Adjective
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But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with polluted water and poorer health because of the mining.—
Abraham Nunbogu,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
As Mexico City has expanded over time, the Xochimilco lake system has gradually shrunk and become more polluted in certain areas, which has led to a steep decline in their population.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Who cares about the fact that her friend cheated when her child was poisoned by her husband and her father?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
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Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that his New York conviction last year was poisoned by bad blood among jurors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Craig Adair, vice president of development at Open Road Renewables, which has pursued renewable energy projects in several states, has fielded a range of concerns over the years — from how soil could be contaminated to the possibility of electromagnetic fields causing cancer.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2026
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Sardines may be a nutrient-dense fish, but they’re also increasingly contaminated with microplastics3 and heavy metals like arsenic.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Net income is $807 million, or 43 cents per diluted share.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The device pulls in a lot of air to capture the very diluted CO2.—
Molly McCrea,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The park's 120th operating season, which kicked off April 3, was marred by several fights between groups of teens, culminating in three arrests.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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Peacock’s first quarter was marred by the recognition of half its NBA season costs consolidated into a three-month period (because half of Peacock’s games were scheduled from January 1-March 31).—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Additional surveillance footage showed Marcelin in his building's laundry room cleaning a kitchen mat that appears stained with blood, according to prosecutors.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Oct. 2025
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For example, Wilson’s team is exploring whether dilute acids speed up weathering.—
Robert F. Service,
Science | AAAS,
3 Sep. 2020
Verb
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The bullpen spoiled a day when the Angels’ cold offense finally woke up.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
27 Apr. 2026
-
That spoiled what had been the Kings’ special-teams advantage in the series.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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