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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Examples of tarnish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But Wadhwani says chrome is the more resilient choice for high-moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms because polished nickel can tarnish over time.
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Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2024
Tax cut conundrum Harris and Democrats would like to tarnish Trump’s record on the economy by trashing his plan to cut taxes.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Sep. 2024
Like many moguls who have seen their downfall in the 2020s (most recently Diddy), McMahon’s undeniable influence within his genre is tarnished by unspeakable acts outside of it.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
Her reputation was already tarnished by past news stories detailing her previous harassment and stalking of public figures.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tarnish 
Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2024
Tax cut conundrum Harris and Democrats would like to tarnish Trump’s record on the economy by trashing his plan to cut taxes.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Sep. 2024
Like many moguls who have seen their downfall in the 2020s (most recently Diddy), McMahon’s undeniable influence within his genre is tarnished by unspeakable acts outside of it.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
Her reputation was already tarnished by past news stories detailing her previous harassment and stalking of public figures.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tarnish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tarnish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
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