TARRED Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

tarred

verb

past tense of tar

as in smeared

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarred

Verb

The bombshell discovery in the little red dot spectra was that the colors of hydrogen were smeared out across multiple shades.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Aware of them now, the dog shakes loose the can—his forelock matted, his jowl smeared with beans—and shrinks into the trees with a whimper that makes something tighten in Molly’s own chest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of smeared

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

In the northern part of the district, the waterfront is polluted by ships.

— Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of polluted

Verb

But in some recent years the revelries have been tarnished by shootings and stabbings.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026
In June, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape and domestic violence after a seven-week trial that further tarnished the family’s reputation.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of tarnished

Verb

On Tuesday, a silver cross on a long chain hung from the pine tree’s bark, which was peeling and blackened from the blaze.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The blaze blackened about 25 acres near the Getty Center before firefighters got the upper hand on it.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of blackened

Verb

Inglessis applies liner near the lash line—easily smudged for a day-to-night look—while Baker, a huge mascara advocate, considers a single coat (if that) all that’s necessary.

— Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 Sep. 2026
The Bobbi Brown side had faded less and hadn’t smudged as much beneath my lower lash line, which is usually the first area to start running.

— Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of smudged

Verb

Grand jury proceedings are kept confidential to allow people to testify freely without worrying about consequences and so that the subjects of an investigation are not unfairly tainted before the jury can decide whether to file charges against them.

— Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
The judge also rejected Smart's arguments that the verdict was tainted by media attention and by faulty jury instructions.

— CBS News, CBS News, 17 Sep. 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.

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tarns

tarred

tarried

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“Tarred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarred. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of tarred

verb

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