tarred

verb

past tense of tar
as in smeared

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarred
  1. smeared
  2. soiled
  3. sullied
  4. polluted
  5. tarnished
  6. blackened
  7. smudged
  8. tainted
Verb
  • Camille can still picture Burke standing over her, fake blood smeared across her dress.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • There’s rarely anything as straightforward as a kick drum, a hi-hat, or even a bassline here; instead, everything is smeared, all origins occulted in a thicket of echoes and reflections.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of smeared
Verb
  • Lamb checked out of the room the next day, and a housekeeper found three large trash bags filled with bloody towels and linens that were also soiled with human waste, according to the report.
    — David Goodhue August 21, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • When To Wash Sheets In Hot Water Washing sheets in hot water every time isn’t necessary for linens that are lightly soiled—think no sweaty nights or sickness.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of soiled
Verb
  • Shortly after Palace’s next match had finished, a defeat by Everton on the opening weekend of the new season, his reputation among the supporters had been sullied again.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Such shenanigans are more or less expected, and certainly haven’t forever sullied the American soccer fan base, at least here at home.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Definition of sullied
Verb
  • Our state has thousands of sites already polluted with toxic chemicals and other pollutants, and those projects affect air quality, safe drinking water and community health for millions of Californians.
    — Shannon Olivieri Hovis, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Greenpeace Germany warned that oil has already polluted stretches of coastline and damaged the area's fragile ecosystem.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of polluted
Verb
  • The Iran-contra scandal in the mid-1980s badly tarnished Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy record.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Pentagon's inadequate communication has tarnished trust and credibility among the American public, Congress and crucial regional allies who are facing Iranian attacks, three former military officials tell Lawrence.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 July 2026
Definition of tarnished
Verb
  • Corbin uses cabbage as an anchor in his new and expanding Rolodex of flavors, thrusting it into the fire until the outer layers are blackened and frizzled.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Timber Fire Monterey County’s Timber Fire burning near Big Sur has blackened nearly 2,500 acres since its start Monday afternoon and is 5% contained.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of blackened
Verb
  • Dark circles get enhanced rather than left alone, and liner is smudged on purpose to look slept-in.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Will Hammond, quarterback, Texas Tech Even after Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby’s gambling scandal saga, which ended in Sorsby unable to play and Texas Tech leadership smudged, the Red Raiders are favored to win the Big 12.
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of smudged
Verb
  • But Reese and her Dream teammates tainted the historic night during the final 20 seconds.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In July, the US was hit with a wave of explosive diarrhea caused by an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that spreads through food and water tainted with human feces.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of tainted
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

tarns
tarred
tarried
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Cite this Entry

“Tarred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarred. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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