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
Olivia Dubyak, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
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
According to Jacqueline Kim, the account director at consulting firm DEH Jewelry Solutions, tarnishing occurs primarily due to chemical reactions between metals and elements in the environment, such as oxygen.
—Shelby Ying Hyde, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024
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
It’s made of 10K gold, so any tarnishing that happens down the line can likely be cleaned or polished away.
—Olivia Dubyak, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
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
According to Jacqueline Kim, the account director at consulting firm DEH Jewelry Solutions, tarnishing occurs primarily due to chemical reactions between metals and elements in the environment, such as oxygen.
—Shelby Ying Hyde, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2024
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
-
Some team members visited pig slaughterhouses, where the GI tract is typically removed from the meat to prevent contamination.—
Sara Talpos — Undark,
STAT,
1 June 2026
-
The environmental activist who won $333 million for hundreds of people affected by utility company PG&E’s groundwater contamination is now turning her focus to data centers.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Use place mats or tablecloths on your kitchen table to keep food spills, condensation from drinks, and utensils from marring or staining the surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Protagonist Jo’s mother disappeared when Jo was a teen, tainting her daughter with the stain of possible witchcraft.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
At a time of intensifying divisions at home, a depiction of Ecuador could offer an Edenic, new-world landscape free from the partisanship tainting Church’s New England landscapes.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Monday.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 May 2026
-
The state took an interest in the mid-2000s, and in 2007, the pollution control agency and 3M reached an agreement to address PFAS contamination at four disposal areas.—
Talia McWright,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The sheets will absorb excess moisture, which will prevent your fruits and veggies spoiling quickly.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
-
Paige Bueckers scored 24 points and Azzi Fudd added 17 of her season-high 24 in the third quarter to lift the Dallas Wings to a 91-76 win over the New York Liberty on Sunday, spoiling the season debut of Sabrina Ionescu.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually start six hours to six days after ingesting the bacteria.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Four people have died in California as a result of the amatoxin poisoning outbreak.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Moonrise will take place across North America in blue hour, when the sky is darkening but still retains color — perfect timing.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Use place mats or tablecloths on your kitchen table to keep food spills, condensation from drinks, and utensils from marring or staining the surface.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
And the incident was one of four mechanical problems with the LCS fleet in a year, staining the reputation of the ships’ reliability.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishing. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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