1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to paint
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dirty
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in blot
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the stain of this cowardly act would haunt him for the rest of his career
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stain
Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Dish Soap Unless the furniture is heavily stained, a bucket of warm water with about 1 teaspoon of dish soap will remove dust, dirt, bird droppings, and food stains.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Typically, a mixture of white vinegar and water or oxygen bleach and water is enough to deal with most stains.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stain
Verb
Boards with deep knife grooves, cracks, or staining should be replaced because damaged areas can continue to trap bacteria even after cleaning.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Dish Soap Unless the furniture is heavily stained, a bucket of warm water with about 1 teaspoon of dish soap will remove dust, dirt, bird droppings, and food stains.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 16 May 2026
Noun
Ana wiped the counter and swiped a stain on the white tile backsplash.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Typically, a mixture of white vinegar and water or oxygen bleach and water is enough to deal with most stains.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stain
Verb
-
Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the murder convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk’s improper comments to jurors, prejudicial evidence and failures at trial.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
-
The election beating may have been the final straw for a leader already tainted by his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington despite the veteran politician’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Israel prohibits many construction materials from entering Gaza, so the structure was created by welding sheets of metal together and painting them white.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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Or is Williamson, facing sentencing, just trying to paint herself in a sympathetic light?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
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But as filming continued, Pidgeon appeared to dirty her butter blond with caramel and chocolate shades similar to Bessette-Kennedy’s, thanks to stylist Kari Hill.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
25 Feb. 2026
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With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There were risks, but he was not considered to have multiple blots on his record.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Add a few drops of mild detergent to warm water and blot the stain with a microfiber cloth rather than scrubbing it.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Noun
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There, surrounding his tomb, visitors will find walls covered in some of Goya’s finest frescoes, restored to their vivid, original pigment tones, along with the church interior and building structure itself, reports the Times of London.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
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And these pigment pros aren’t here to gatekeep.—
Eleni N. Gage,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The grand occasion was almost marred by an accident, the Tribune reported.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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Though that 2017 championship is marred by one of the most egregious cheating scandals in baseball history.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The photonegative is then run through a contact printer, which projects light, colored by filters, through the negative and onto the positive film stock, creating a final release print.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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As for whether CenterWell’s commercial interests color its conclusions, Shetty doesn’t dodge the question.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Sepsis had left his skin peeling and his body blackened, including parts of his fingers, ears, lips and lower legs.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Broil close to heat until blackened and blistered, 4 to 5 minutes per side.—
Rick Bayless,
Midwest Living,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stain. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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