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
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
This leather case has four necklace hooks with pockets for storing chains, six holes for earrings, and a faux suede interior that’s treated to prevent tarnishing.
—Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
The Tate necklace has a stack of three chains, including a tennis, hera, and bezel-set, and is designed with a stainless steel protective coating that’s water-resistant, so it’s protected against tarnishing.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
After the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, athletes raised concerns that their awards, which famously included pieces of the Eiffel Tower, were tarnishing and corroding after the games.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 12 Feb. 2026
Simply putting a protective barrier like a regular cloth between your silver and the outside world wouldn’t be enough to stop tarnishing.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Watson stirred controversy late in life, tarnishing his reputation as a scientist in a series of racist remarks.
—Christina Zdanowicz, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Internal rivalries, particularly between his sister and his chief adviser, spilled into public view, tarnishing the administration’s image.
—María Victoria Murillo, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 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
Noun
Make sure to hand-wash any copper items or other precious metals to keep their shine and luster intact and avoid discoloration or tarnishing.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
This leather case has four necklace hooks with pockets for storing chains, six holes for earrings, and a faux suede interior that’s treated to prevent tarnishing.
—Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025
Verb
Bambaataa denied the allegations in a statement that invoked a sense of conspiracy, and suggested that the accusers were agents intent on tarnishing his reputation.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
The Tate necklace has a stack of three chains, including a tennis, hera, and bezel-set, and is designed with a stainless steel protective coating that’s water-resistant, so it’s protected against tarnishing.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
After the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, athletes raised concerns that their awards, which famously included pieces of the Eiffel Tower, were tarnishing and corroding after the games.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 12 Feb. 2026
Simply putting a protective barrier like a regular cloth between your silver and the outside world wouldn’t be enough to stop tarnishing.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Watson stirred controversy late in life, tarnishing his reputation as a scientist in a series of racist remarks.
—Christina Zdanowicz, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Internal rivalries, particularly between his sister and his chief adviser, spilled into public view, tarnishing the administration’s image.
—María Victoria Murillo, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnishing
Noun
-
Neighbors were still without water in one Mountain View neighborhood on Sunday after a mistake at a construction site on Friday caused possible contamination, and neighbors are waiting for tests to reveal whether the water is safe for use.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Around 5,000 thyroid cancers have been linked to iodine contamination of milk supplies by the accident, 15 of them fatal.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Now, streaming is tainting the postseason.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This can happen due to your natural hair texture, dryness, or environmental stressors like wind, friction from your pillowcase, or pollution—your cuticles can catch on each other like Velcro, Small says, causing tangles.—
Sarah Felbin,
Allure,
26 Apr. 2026
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Duffy joined 20 other Orland Grassland volunteers Saturday to plant native shrubs such as American plum, hazelnut and nannyberry viburnum to eventually help buffer some of the noise and pollution from the LaGrange Road traffic.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Wilderness guides at Magashi Peninsula are well trained, the accommodation and food spoiling, and the wildlife sightings glorious.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There is no dumber tradition that's come with this insufferable age of social media than spoiling draft picks.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The young woman who sojourned to Oberlin College, where she was wrongfully accused of poisoning her classmates and beaten half to death, who raised her hands in defense of herself, then went on to grip clay and rock and chisel to re-create visions of justice.—
Tyehimba Jess,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The industry is grappling with these logistical hurdles against a backdrop of darkening economic sentiment.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The economist Adam Posen on the effect of the war in Iran on the world’s economy and the darkening economic outlook for the United States.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Allow the area to dry and repeat the process if visible mold or staining remains.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If your books have already been affected, the staining will likely remain—even after treatment—and mold may return, Fifield warns.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishing. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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