as in unpolished
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as in marred
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnished
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Try The Polish Test Use a clean, soft cloth to rub the tarnished silver.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Moonlight carved out his silhouette and sparked a tarnished reflection off the gun in his right hand.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Things keep lining up against Microsoft , with all roads leading back to the company's tarnished standing as an artificial intelligence leader and how that could impact the company's Azure cloud growth.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
But Chavez’s legacy became increasingly tarnished as the years went on.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Focus on tarnished areas, and be sure to be gentle.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 5 May 2026
And a scandal that sees Runway fooled by (LOL) a fast fashion brand with sweatshop ties as tarnished the mag’s sterling reputation.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Not tarnished because of this conflict.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The actress also denied making the complaint, claiming the allegations have tarnished her reputation for integrity and honesty and is seeking damages.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The squeaky-clean image of the Bachelor franchise has been tarnished, and its programming isn’t alone in becoming embroiled in headline-making drama.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA’s public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Some companies have discovered their innocent shenanigans failed to delight audiences and instead tarnished their brands.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The sprawling case, which has thousands of court filings, is a battle of salvaging tarnished reputations.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Try The Polish Test Use a clean, soft cloth to rub the tarnished silver.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Moonlight carved out his silhouette and sparked a tarnished reflection off the gun in his right hand.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Things keep lining up against Microsoft , with all roads leading back to the company's tarnished standing as an artificial intelligence leader and how that could impact the company's Azure cloud growth.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
But Chavez’s legacy became increasingly tarnished as the years went on.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Focus on tarnished areas, and be sure to be gentle.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
But the Conservatives are tarnished by 14 tumultuous years in power that ended in 2024.
—ABC News, 5 May 2026
And a scandal that sees Runway fooled by (LOL) a fast fashion brand with sweatshop ties as tarnished the mag’s sterling reputation.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Not tarnished because of this conflict.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The actress also denied making the complaint, claiming the allegations have tarnished her reputation for integrity and honesty and is seeking damages.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The squeaky-clean image of the Bachelor franchise has been tarnished, and its programming isn’t alone in becoming embroiled in headline-making drama.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA’s public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Some companies have discovered their innocent shenanigans failed to delight audiences and instead tarnished their brands.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished
Adjective
-
Elegoo’s slicer shows promise but feels similarly unpolished, reinforcing the impression that the platform is still evolving.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
-
The charm of these biographies, however, lies in their authenticity – the small spelling missteps and unpolished phrasing that reflect genuine middle school voices.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The entire proceedings have been marred by tragedy since the exhibition’s artistic director, Koyo Kouoh, died suddenly of liver cancer in early 2025, leaving her staff to complete the last year of work.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
5 May 2026
-
The Australian Jewish Association welcomed the report’s release but said it was marred by failing to address the form of antisemitic extremism said to have motivated the Bondi Beach shooters.—
Philissa Cramer,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
An expert who spoke to New York magazine estimated that about 30 percent of the peptides tested for clients were contaminated or otherwise tainted.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Court exhibit But that, too, Casteleiro argued, was tainted.—
Mary Murphy,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Look for bins that are not coated or stained with toxic finishes.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That dingy look creeping across the screens and settling on every surface?—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Finally, dingy, discolored, or stringy towels need to get the heave-ho.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Who cares about the fact that her friend cheated when her child was poisoned by her husband and her father?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that his New York conviction last year was poisoned by bad blood among jurors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Conventional semiconductor lasers are compact and efficient—but also dim and dependent on bulky, complex optics.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
-
Stair nosings get a strip of contrasting tone, so the edge stays visible when the hallway is dim.—
Amy Kunst,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
What happens next cannot be spoiled, only experienced, with startled laughter.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Cincy spoiled the shutout in the ninth off reliever Jimmy Herget when Will Benson tagged him for a two-run homer.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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