1
as in marring
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluting
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 tainting
Rahmani, the former prosecutor, said statements by Patel and other Justice Department officials could raise concerns about tainting the jury pool in a future trial.
—
Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president's achievements.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president's achievements.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainting
Verb
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An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The group sees ample opportunity for partnership with some of the denim industry’s leading finishing innovators, who have worked to replace stone-washing techniques—which are polluting and water-guzzling—with lasers to achieve whiskering and distressing.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
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China’s is arguably the most important; whatever the world’s most-polluting country does will determine the planet’s climate trajectory.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Arsenal host Chelsea in the coming weeks, a two-pronged opportunity for both spoiling and redemption.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Soundcore reckons that the screen's large footprint should help prevent the odd gust of wind from spoiling the yard or pool party.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Krishna discovers that Kaliya is living beneath the surface of a local pond and poisoning its waters with his venom.—
Seamus Sullivan
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
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Authorities said Boytsov is also accused of poisoning his wife, who is one of the deceased, with the alcohol.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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It’s made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and it can even be paired with your favorite lip balm or gloss — without staining the applicator — for an extra boost of moisture.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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As a natural stone, quartzite should be sealed to prevent staining.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To relieve the burning pain, people plunge the affected limb in streams or ponds, triggering the release of thousands of larvae and contaminating the water source.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
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The government ignored Hamilton’s warning, and for 50 years lead spewed from every car’s tailpipe, contaminating the air, soil, and bodies of generations.—
Tom Frieden,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Heavy fuel oil also produces black carbon, a kind of soot that can settle on the ice and accelerate melt by darkening the surface, meaning more of the sun’s energy is absorbed.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Other Mommy is described as a supernatural trip into the darkening world of a young girl as her family, and their home, are haunted by a sinister entity that is determined to take up residence inside her.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Any area where people are touching the same surfaces can be a risk, and people can get infected from touching items in those areas.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The broad market index started the day modestly higher, touching a new all-time intraday high, before fizzling a bit and trading near the flatline.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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