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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tainting
And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president's achievements.
—
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainting
Verb
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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 technology ideally should be used for sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as cement production, aviation and agriculture, rather than to extend the life of polluting power plants or to prolong the use of oil and gas, Koberle said.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Stop polluting and give them stable, growing economies in which to be raised.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Dylan O’Brien stans might have already seen Twinless, the movie that got leaked because his die-hards couldn’t resist spoiling a major scene from it out of Sundance.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Shelf-stable items are often the most plentiful in Burmese grocery stores in Milwaukee since they can be shipped across the world without refrigeration or concerns about spoiling.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Beyond the broader ecological catastrophes that await us, wildfires harm people with smoke that can travel hundreds of kilometers from the source fire, poisoning people with small particles and a portfolio of toxins.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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In the mid-1890s, her former landlords Israel and Lovey Dunham died after sudden illnesses; Toppan later acknowledged poisoning them, according to Boston Magazine.—
Christina Coulter,
People.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Enter this darling Dutch oven—it’s constructed with long-lasting cast-iron and finished with a triple-layer enamel coating that prevents chipping, fading, cracking, and staining with use.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
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After victims were taken inside the hospital, photos taken by an employee of the Gaza Ministry of Health show blood staining multiple floors of the stairwell.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Just as Cassini was sent into Saturn at the end of its mission to avoid contaminating Saturn’s moons with any stowaway organics brought from Earth, so too will Juno be brought to an end by forcing it to plunge into a gas giant world.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
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The compression system inside is genius, and the sectioned divider keeps my dirty clothes from contaminating the rest of my items (major win).—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Flowers are typically pale blue to lavender, darkening along the midrib and toward the tip of each petal.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Aug. 2025
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Check the butter for signs of spoiling, including darkening, a foul odor, and/or a sour taste.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rafael Nadal was famous for pulling at his shorts, tucking his hair behind his ears, and touching his nose, for example, while Serena Williams was known to bounce her ball a specific number of times (five on the first serve, and two on the second).—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
5 Sep. 2025
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And also as an only child that's touching to see them together.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainting. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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