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
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
Noun
This will slow down the tarnishing that occurs from air exposure.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnishing
Noun
-
Beyond the initial findings, additional testing conducted along the Potomac River shows how far the contamination spread and how dramatically bacteria levels varied depending on location.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
However, its effects are increasingly visible in the form of algal blooms, fish kills and contamination of drinking water supplies.—
Dinesh Phuyal,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
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
-
An optional front rack on both models adds instant utility without marring the retro-fantastic looks.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Judges typically allow for questioning of prospective jurors who may have a bias separately from the larger pool of jurors to avoid tainting others.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
12 Dec. 2025
-
And there's also issues of tainting the jury pool.—
Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Adam Sabes , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Animal agriculture is also a leading driver of climate catastrophe, deforestation, water pollution and biodiversity loss.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Though only 2% of the river’s length flows through the capital, Delhi contributes about 76% of its total pollution, according to a government monitoring committee.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While photography was strictly off limits in certain creative hubs to avoid spoiling unannounced figurines currently in development, the atmosphere on-site remained incredibly jovial.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Winter Storm Fern is already spoiling weekend travel plans for Charlotte airport passengers, with a forecast of snow, sleet, and freezing rain looming over the state.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Attorneys for a Utah children's book author accused of poisoning her husband to death are accusing members of the prosecution team of witness intimidation, just weeks before jury selection is set to begin in her high-profile murder trial.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the novel, the story instead concludes aboard the Princess Andromeda cruise ship, where Luke is tricked into confessing to poisoning Thalia’s tree, clearing Chiron’s name.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Use room-darkening shades and blackout curtains to prevent light from seeping in to interrupt your shut-eye.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Jan. 2026
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The moon's outsized profiles appear subtly warped by their proximity to the horizon and the dark silhouettes of lunar maria (seas) can be picked out darkening its surface, where ancient lava once flowed into impact basins billions of years ago.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cooks who use the oven regularly should clean it once a month to prevent food and grease from building up and staining the oven.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Be very quick to wipe away any drips that run onto the wood cabinet surface to prevent staining.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishing. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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