as in taints
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tarnishes
Real silver also tarnishes over time, so older silver without any tarnish can be a red flag.
—
Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 4 May 2026
This translated into a lot of polishing, as silver tarnishes pretty quickly when it’s exposed to things like air and water thanks to a chemical reaction between the silver and sulfur gases in the environment.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Crowe believes that Maximus fathering a son with a woman other than his wife tarnishes his character's legacy, as the gladiator's primary motivation in the original film is to avenge the deaths of his wife and son.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Ana Luisa Tired of budget-friendly jewelry that tarnishes after just a few wears?
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 4 May 2026
This translated into a lot of polishing, as silver tarnishes pretty quickly when it’s exposed to things like air and water thanks to a chemical reaction between the silver and sulfur gases in the environment.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Crowe believes that Maximus fathering a son with a woman other than his wife tarnishes his character's legacy, as the gladiator's primary motivation in the original film is to avenge the deaths of his wife and son.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Ana Luisa Tired of budget-friendly jewelry that tarnishes after just a few wears?
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnishes
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
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
Verb
-
Alphabet, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI and the sundry other rivals for the AI spoils can’t all grab a couple of points of GDP in sales, the prize built into SpaceX’s celestial cap.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
Telling more than that spoils what happens.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Citizen scientists are invited to build their own instrument to measure changes that occur in the atmosphere when the sky momentarily darkens.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
Pass the flame over the weed until the foliage darkens.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
16 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
-
And two, baking soda is an indiscriminate weed killer that poisons the soil.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When that protective finish gets damaged, the toilet actually stains easier and is harder to keep clean over time.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishes. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
