as in spoiled
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as in rotting
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
too much coddling will spoil the child
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
the meat has spoiled
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3
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait
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4
as in indulging
to treat with great or excessive care
when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spoiling
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Petrecca was thrust into the commentary role, replacing Auro Bulbarelli, who removed himself after spoiling the surprise arrival of Mattarella aboard one of the city’s trams.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s used to prevent fats and oils in food from spoiling and can show up in products such as frozen meals, breakfast cereals, cookies, ice cream and some meat products.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Best Spot to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder Hang feeders in the shade to prevent nectar from spoiling.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Leisure bred laziness; coddling meant spoiling.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
While photography was strictly off limits in certain creative hubs to avoid spoiling unannounced figurines currently in development, the atmosphere on-site remained incredibly jovial.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Winter Storm Fern is already spoiling weekend travel plans for Charlotte airport passengers, with a forecast of snow, sleet, and freezing rain looming over the state.
—Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026
Once washed, make sure to dry properly with a kitchen towel and store in a colander-style container to prevent any leftover drops pooling and spoiling your food.
—Kristin Corpuz, Architectural Digest, 16 Jan. 2026
Verb
Much of the damage that the larger amount would cause, especially the impact on the pond and spoiling the preserve, would still happen under the new plan.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Petrecca was thrust into the commentary role, replacing Auro Bulbarelli, who removed himself after spoiling the surprise arrival of Mattarella aboard one of the city’s trams.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Feb. 2026
It’s used to prevent fats and oils in food from spoiling and can show up in products such as frozen meals, breakfast cereals, cookies, ice cream and some meat products.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 10 Feb. 2026
Best Spot to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder Hang feeders in the shade to prevent nectar from spoiling.
—Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
Leisure bred laziness; coddling meant spoiling.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
While photography was strictly off limits in certain creative hubs to avoid spoiling unannounced figurines currently in development, the atmosphere on-site remained incredibly jovial.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
Winter Storm Fern is already spoiling weekend travel plans for Charlotte airport passengers, with a forecast of snow, sleet, and freezing rain looming over the state.
—Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2026
Once washed, make sure to dry properly with a kitchen towel and store in a colander-style container to prevent any leftover drops pooling and spoiling your food.
—Kristin Corpuz, Architectural Digest, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoiling
Adjective
-
Allen is an author who lives on the East Coast with her husband and two spoiled cats.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Bacteria can grow on spills, spoiled food, and hidden crumbs.—
Kendall Bettle,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Funk assures that the softened, decomposing cardboard will allow plants to grow through.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Jon Hallford, a southern Colorado funeral home owner who stashed nearly 200 decomposing bodies and gave families fake ashes, was sentenced on state charges on Friday.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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McCarthy warned that being too quick to bring untested criminal cases against political adversaries risks damaging institutional legitimacy regardless of which party is in power.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
-
This will keep other items from damaging the leather, as well as keep it dust free.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
3 Feb. 2026
-
By indulging his endless, self-destructive reserves of contempt, Doug chances upon a truth, not unlike what Oliver Stone did with JFK.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Try to get a look below the surface—if anything is broken, damaged, rotten, or desiccated, a simple trim could help.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
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Repairs to the balcony included removing and replacing rotten support beams, according to an invoice from Ameridian.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The system converts heat from radioactive decay into electricity.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Leaking water can cause structural decay, mold growth, destroyed flooring, and more.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Infected people and dogs had to be prevented from tainting water sources.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Judges typically allow for questioning of prospective jurors who may have a bias separately from the larger pool of jurors to avoid tainting others.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spoiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoiling. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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