as in contamination
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as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnishing
Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
His arrest and subsequent trial blew it over like a house of cards, though, tarnishing Combs' reputation with claims of domestic abuse, intimidation and rampant drug use.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
There’s new leadership, new investors, and new games this time around, all in an effort to revive the brand without tarnishing its legacy.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The decision has vexed supporters of the program and of journalism in general, who charged Paramount executives risked tarnishing a media brand that has long sought to hold power to account and to probe events with an independent lens.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
The tourism hub is lined with hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment spots, but the council says lewd messages sprawled across the backsides of storefront mannequins and tongue-in-cheek T-shirts are tarnishing the area’s wholesome image.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Looming over all of it has been the sad, enervating situation with Alexander Isak, forever enshrined as a club legend by dint of Wembley last season but now beyond the point of tarnishing that legacy.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
Another user shared their thoughts about the OP tarnishing her relationship with her dad to protect her children.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
His arrest and subsequent trial blew it over like a house of cards, though, tarnishing Combs' reputation with claims of domestic abuse, intimidation and rampant drug use.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
There’s new leadership, new investors, and new games this time around, all in an effort to revive the brand without tarnishing its legacy.
—David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The decision has vexed supporters of the program and of journalism in general, who charged Paramount executives risked tarnishing a media brand that has long sought to hold power to account and to probe events with an independent lens.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
The tourism hub is lined with hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment spots, but the council says lewd messages sprawled across the backsides of storefront mannequins and tongue-in-cheek T-shirts are tarnishing the area’s wholesome image.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Looming over all of it has been the sad, enervating situation with Alexander Isak, forever enshrined as a club legend by dint of Wembley last season but now beyond the point of tarnishing that legacy.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnishing
Noun
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This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, various sanitation deficiencies such as old food residue on equipment, lack of proper glove use during food preparation, and pest contamination, city officials said.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Including playoffs, Mayfield turned the ball over more than anyone else from 2023 through 2024, marring an otherwise fantastic two seasons in Tampa Bay.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In its new filing, Mangione’s defense team expressed concern about tainting the pool of prospective jurors.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In the end, when Malcolm pulls out a sword on him, Brian is given little choice but to kill Malcolm in front of Ellen in the ensuing battle, tainting the start of the happy couple’s life together.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Electric propulsion eliminates direct fuel combustion, reducing pollution and noise.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Josh Heupel’s Vols are relegated to potentially spoiling rival Vanderbilt’s hopes in the regular-season finale.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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This past weekend, Delaware State beat North Carolina Central on the road for the first time since 1977, spoiling homecoming weekend.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In November 2024, an American citizen was among six tourists who died in Laos, where alcohol tainted with methanol was blamed for poisoning them.—
Jay Ganglani,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
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What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Our planet is darkening too, as Earth's reflectivity, or albedo, is dropping to near-record lows due to melting ice and reduced snow cover that expose darker surfaces that absorb even more heat.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Remove any heavy objects from the sides of your tub, as these items can cause chips or cracking that can contribute to staining.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
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Additionally, these shoes are machine washable, so don’t worry about staining the gorgeous light pink shoes on your next adventure!—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishing. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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