1
as in tainting
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
mar a politician's reputation with scurrilous rumors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the once glossy surface is now marred by numerous small pits and abrasions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of marring
Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.
—
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026
Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, along with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, were ejected for fighting, marring what was an intriguing game between the top team in the Eastern Conference and the one featuring the NBA’s longest current win streak.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
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
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2026
Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate, along with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, were ejected for fighting, marring what was an intriguing game between the top team in the Eastern Conference and the one featuring the NBA’s longest current win streak.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marring
Verb
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Played by cisgender actress Kathleen Turner, Charles proved to be one of the more divisive characters from Friends, tainting its cultural legacy for some critics.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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An asteroid the size of a house exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk with the force of 440,000 tons of TNT, damaging buildings and injuring more than 1,600 people, according to NASA.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said that an airstrike hit near its Bushehr nuclear facility, killing a security guard and damaging a support building.—
Sam Mednick,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Without spoiling too much, Kane and Palk get to bond over their Kansas City roots in the beginning of the show.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The Angels lost to the Mariners, 3-1 in 10 innings, on Friday, spoiling the home opener for an Angel Stadium sell-out crowd of 44,931.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The order vacated guilty verdicts from the 2018 trial of Renardo Williams, who was convicted of killing Bethgy Catora and shooting and injuring Mayklens Francois during a drug deal gone wrong.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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Rodriguez landed on his knees, injuring his shoulder, and was hoisting himself back up when Hernandez allegedly targeted Williams, according to prosecutors.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are a few options to deal with old brickwork, including cleaning and repairing the brick, painting or staining the brick, or even installing new siding or stucco over the brick.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
13 Mar. 2026
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Sealing your grout is a great way to prevent further staining and using a steam cleaner or steam mop can help to lift the stains.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Autonomous systems must handle edge cases and systemic failures without compromising passenger safety.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
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This means the hair boasts 80% cuticle alignment, maintains its sumptuous, silky texture after 20+ washes, and undergoes only minimal, delicate acid-washing for sanitation without compromising its integrity.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Two things persuaded Haagy to shelve his own plant research and zero in on the mystery of sky-darkening smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Oh, and the grief was almost a person of its own, darkening the minds of some of the characters as much as any lightless corridor could darken a space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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All three largely believe the war caused the high gas and grocery prices that are crippling the nation’s economy.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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This creates permanent skin damage around the well, fundamentally destroying its natural permeability and crippling its long-term productivity.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Marring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marring. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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