as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnish
In Paris, the medals started to tarnish and were compared to looking like crocodile skin.
—
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The 72-year-old Labour politician is a contentious figure whose career has been tarnished with scandals over money or ethics.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Their competition reignited interest in baseball, but both became tied to the sport's steroid scandal that tarnished their reputations and has kept them out of the Hall of Fame.
—CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Keep yourself above reproach for the next week to avoid getting tarnished by association.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The 72-year-old Labour politician is a contentious figure whose career has been tarnished with scandals over money or ethics.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Their competition reignited interest in baseball, but both became tied to the sport's steroid scandal that tarnished their reputations and has kept them out of the Hall of Fame.
—CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Keep yourself above reproach for the next week to avoid getting tarnished by association.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
Verb
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That means every angle needs to be screen-ready and not tainted by equipment, crew or the director.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
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Marchand’s answer was tainted by him being told Suzuki had been getting some criticism for how his tournament had been going.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organizational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
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But more recently, Clark’s tenure has been marred by dissent and distractions.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Canada’s comeback spoiled good performances by a pair of Anaheim Ducks.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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The rampant speculation was also fueled by the existence of another clip in which Ansell appears to spoil a major plot point for a potential future season of the show.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Worshippers arriving for the day's first prayers found the damage and a smoldering fire that spewed black smoke across the entrance of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the town of Tell, near Nablus, and stained the ornate doorway.—
AREF TUFAHA,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
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Don’t toss that scratched-up, questionably stained, borderline EPA Superfund site, 12-year-old cutting board just yet!—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Turns out, Chris lied about touching a stone mid-play and has quietly poisoned every victory and memory the team has enjoyed since.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
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Boundaries protect quality of output and prevent resentment from poisoning relationships.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As Europe's political climate darkens against refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants, with governments including that of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni focusing resources on limiting new arrivals, Milan is taking a stand for a different approach.—
Ruth Sherlock,
NPR,
23 Feb. 2026
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Look out for the dark forms of Mare Crisium and Mare Fecunditatis darkening the sunlit wedge of Earth's satellite, which formed when ancient lava flows flooded networks of impact craters before hardening many millions of years ago.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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