vitiating

verb

present participle of vitiate
1
as in tainting
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable believed that luxury vitiates even the most principled person

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2
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of numerous grammatical errors vitiate the effectiveness of your writing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality a penchant for coarse language vitiates what is otherwise a refined literary style

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of vitiating In the three years since, the Court has delivered even more wins for the movement—rulings undercutting the rights of trans people and immigrants, vitiating the Voting Rights Act, and expanding Presidential power. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitiating
  1. tainting
  2. damaging
  3. degrading
  4. spoiling
  5. marring
  6. corrupting
  7. poisoning
  8. injuring
Verb
  • Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For all intents and purposes, an unknown actor can wade unburdened into the depths of Bond, able to transform without a viewer’s prior expectation tainting the image of 007.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Definition of tainting
Verb
  • It’s also sparked criticism, with some worried that strangers are capitalizing on gravesites without notifying descendants and risking damaging the sites.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In Hollywood, city officials may open beach parking garages so residents can relocate their vehicles away from damaging saltwater flooding.
    — Ted Scouten, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of damaging
Verb
  • Online critics characterized the Polymarket contract as degrading and questioned why celebrity ambassadors would associate themselves with the company.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Oliver got the show started by kicking his heels together and pointing out that stand-up comedy and a venue like Carnegie Hall are opposing ovals in a Venn diagram, with stand-up degrading such a magnificent space.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • In Season Two, the couple dealt with making the relationship work, which culminates in tensions between the pair — and without totally spoiling it, suffice to say that does not end so well.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Dodgers left-hander had just given up the lead on Bauers’ two-run homer, spoiling what had been a stellar start Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoiling
Verb
  • The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of marring
Verb
  • Documentarian Alex Gibney is no stranger to dissections of corrupting power — from his feature dives into Enron, Elizabeth Holmes and Scientology.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupting
Verb
  • May says national polarization is poisoning the atmosphere locally.
    — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • James Folta considers how generative AI is poisoning the literary well for everyone.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of poisoning
Verb
  • Strus also will be out for a while after injuring his right foot during training camp.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • This is where Krasner and Pollock lived for nearly 11 years, until Pollock killed himself and one of his passengers, Edith Metzger, while driving drunk, injuring his girlfriend, Ruth Kligman, too.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of injuring

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vitiates
vitiating
vitreous
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Cite this Entry

“Vitiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitiating. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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