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
Now, streaming is tainting the postseason.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
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
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026
Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainting
Verb
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Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To some extent, nearly every gas station is polluting the ground beneath it, experts say.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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Millions of gallons a day of raw, untreated sewage and industrial waste flows north through the Tijuana River, across the border, into the Tijuana River Estuary and out into the Pacific — polluting the air as well.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After Thursday’s game, Weaver faced questions from reporters as an obvious culprit in spoiling McLean’s masterpiece.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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More specifically — and without spoiling a story that piles the twists as high as the corpses — Pine's an ex-British soldier pulled from his porter duties and recruited to surveil a ruthless arms dealer, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) staying at the hotel.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This could affect projects like painting the side of your home or even staining your deck.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Make sure the deck is completely dry before staining or sealing it.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This link, as expected, appears strongest in coastal areas where seawater is increasingly contaminating freshwater supplies.—
Rajiv Chowdhury,
The Conversation,
15 Apr. 2026
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The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) says lead paint is falling from six Baltimore-area bridges and contaminating waterways.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the world's largest oil importer and a heavily export-reliant economy, China is vulnerable to an oil shock that's already slowing trade, pushing up factory costs, and darkening the outlook for the rest of the year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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The staggering human toll in Gaza, ongoing West Bank settlement expansion, another incursion into Lebanon, and a darkening war with Iran eroded support among younger Americans—even as Washington remains Israel’s indispensable security partner.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One of the officers appears to be touching the driver’s side window when the car begins to back up and turn, hitting a vehicle behind it.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
14 Apr. 2026
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Cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone, registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tainting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainting. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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