as in taints
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnishes
This tarnishes my view of Dean.
—
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
Ana Luisa Tired of budget-friendly jewelry that tarnishes after just a few wears?
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 7 Aug. 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
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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
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Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
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Valuing a project at cost of production rather than value in an arm’s length sale—common in all economic statistics—especially mars Chinese data.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That’s the kind of failing grade that ends drives and spoils red zone trips.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Frozen Shrimp Shellfish, like shrimp, spoils quickly, which is why many people prefer to purchase frozen shrimp.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Today, as a government shutdown darkens our national museums and the National Endowment for the Humanities is gutted, the danger is no longer a matter of rhetoric but of radical, systemic action.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
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The tree produces an annual fall harvest of walnuts, enclosed in a green husk that darkens when ripe.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Blood still regularly stains the floors of the Coliseum’s rings.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishes. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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