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
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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
Judges typically allow for questioning of prospective jurors who may have a bias separately from the larger pool of jurors to avoid tainting others.
—
John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 12 Dec. 2025
And there's also issues of tainting the jury pool.
—Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
But there’s a taste of ash tainting the popcorn thrills.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
In its new filing, Mangione’s defense team expressed concern about tainting the pool of prospective jurors.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
In the end, when Malcolm pulls out a sword on him, Brian is given little choice but to kill Malcolm in front of Ellen in the ensuing battle, tainting the start of the happy couple’s life together.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
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
John Diedrich, jsonline.com, 12 Dec. 2025
And there's also issues of tainting the jury pool.
—Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025
But there’s a taste of ash tainting the popcorn thrills.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
In its new filing, Mangione’s defense team expressed concern about tainting the pool of prospective jurors.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2025
In the end, when Malcolm pulls out a sword on him, Brian is given little choice but to kill Malcolm in front of Ellen in the ensuing battle, tainting the start of the happy couple’s life together.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainting
Verb
-
Including playoffs, Mayfield turned the ball over more than anyone else from 2023 through 2024, marring an otherwise fantastic two seasons in Tampa Bay.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Chemical rockets put out huge plumes of polluting exhaust, and for a massive machine like the SpaceX Starship, with 33 first-stage engines, that can add up—especially with hundreds of launches planned.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The evidence is overwhelming and very difficult for high-polluting foreign governments to credibly challenge.—
Chip Lamarca,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Butter crocks are designed with an air-tight seal and a separate space to store water at the bottom that prevents air from reaching the butter, which can lead to spoiling.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
-
There is also a fear in Cuba that the developments in Venezuela could cause a deterioration of the quality of life because of power issues, including with spoiling food, trash and mosquitoes.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Alice is paranoid, thinking her roommate is rearranging her shower supplies and that someone might be poisoning her food.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
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In one case, in the year before Makandal’s death, a servant in Saint-Domingue named Médor was arrested for poisoning his enslaver to obtain his freedom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Holevich adds that cleaning these surfaces promptly will help prevent long-term staining and lingering odors.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren't wiped up right away.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The estimated volume of wastewater contaminating the San Gabriel River is more than 100,000 gallons, per the release.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Check your squash regularly for signs of spoilage and remove any affected squash immediately to avoid contaminating the others.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Add this set of room-darkening curtains to block light for a darker bedroom at night, or grab this fleece blanket to snuggle up with and add texture to a room.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
26 Dec. 2025
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Alternating between onion and potatoes when grating helps keep the potatoes from darkening.—
Joan Nathan,
Saveur,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Take care when planting or touching it, and avoid areas where children or pets frequent.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
-
That means making lots of eye contact, asking before touching, kissing her hand.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tainting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainting. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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