: altered from a pure state or condition: such as
a
: contaminated by or as if by dirt, impurities, or harmful organisms
tainted food
Nearby residents typically want every shovelful of tainted soil dug up and shipped far, far away.—
Gregg Easterbrook
Gregg Easterbrook… federal health authorities identified an organic produce company … as a possible source of some of the tainted spinach.—Julia Preston et al.
Julia Preston et al.Viruses are often passed along to other computers via tainted files …—J. D. Biersdorfer
J. D. Biersdorfer
b
: corrupted morally or ethically
a tainted victory
c
: damaged or spoiled by alteration from a correct or original state or form
tainted evidence
tainted testimony
Examples of tainted in a Sentence
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Recent Examples on the Web
Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
But the process- judging by the emails- seemed to take too long and not be transparent enough for Colorado gasoline regulators, who asked Sinclair for days for a list of gas stations where the tainted fuel was sold.
—Brian Maass, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The severity of the damage usually depends on how much of the tainted gas drivers pumped, Inslee said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Federal officials advise customers not to use the tainted cinnamon and throw it away.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tainted
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Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
But the process- judging by the emails- seemed to take too long and not be transparent enough for Colorado gasoline regulators, who asked Sinclair for days for a list of gas stations where the tainted fuel was sold.
—Brian Maass, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The severity of the damage usually depends on how much of the tainted gas drivers pumped, Inslee said.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Federal officials advise customers not to use the tainted cinnamon and throw it away.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tainted. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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