as in stains
a mark of guilt or disgrace
that rare political campaign that wasn't marred by the taint of false accusations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in spoils
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 pollutes
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 taints
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
The sarcasm taints the question but doesn’t invalidate it.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taints
Noun
-
Use a baking soda paste to help with stubborn stains.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
-
To wash a pet’s bed, vacuum it first to pick up fur, then spot-treat any stains before laundering it according to the care tag instructions.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Telling more than that spoils what happens.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
-
Pre-cut produce also spoils quicker and could pick up pathogens when sliced open.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
Runoff pollutes water used to irrigate crops and provide water for livestock.—
Abraham Nunbogu,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of the few blots on last summer’s Leeds copybook.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
The songs spread outward from Morris’ small voice like paper towel blots.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
And two, baking soda is an indiscriminate weed killer that poisons the soil.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Social-media platforms are filled with short-form videos that clumsily grapple with stigmas surrounding height supremacy.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Despite the mountain of research supporting these interventions, stigmas and biases remain.—
Karen R. Studer,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Pass the flame over the weed until the foliage darkens.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
16 May 2026
-
Its charming glow is often visible even before the sky fully darkens, which is so fitting and poetic when considering both the planetary and astrological essence of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taints. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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