as in discoloration
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1
as in marring
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painting
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
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3
as in blackening
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
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Recent Examples of staining
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
By harnessing a particle accelerator to generate extraordinarily bright, coherent X-rays, the team was able to capture high-resolution internal anatomy in seconds, without the lengthy staining or other preprocessing steps often required for soft-tissue contrast in standard lab scanners.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
Using chemical imaging techniques, researchers attempted to determine whether the staining was intentional or accidental.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
This will avoid causing damage to the sealant and potential staining.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Critically, the ancient teeth from betel nut chewers are distinguishable because of red staining.
—Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 19 Aug. 2025
Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 May 2026
Worse yet, the black olive tree caterpillar also feeds on these galls caused by the mites, accelerating staining through its droppings.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
Leave enough room to mow around the tree, cut it back each season, and make any repairs to your fence, such as staining or board replacement.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Sometimes the warning sign is subtle staining — especially yellow or brown discoloration on walls or ceilings.
—Ryan Brennan
may 8, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Picture murmurations of starlings staining the sky like ink drops or flocks of sheep flowing like liquid.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
The process involved stenciling all the pattern pieces, pre-staining them, and adding dragon skin silicone, a strong and stretchy mold material, which was painted with glue gel to give it that wet look.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 May 2026
Once the structure is built, consider painting or staining the wood to both ensure the material's long-term integrity and enhance the overall look.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026
Porcelain options tend to resist staining better than other materials.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
Ideally, they are planted in a large, open green space where the falling walnuts won’t cause damage, harm, or permanent staining.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
By harnessing a particle accelerator to generate extraordinarily bright, coherent X-rays, the team was able to capture high-resolution internal anatomy in seconds, without the lengthy staining or other preprocessing steps often required for soft-tissue contrast in standard lab scanners.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
Using chemical imaging techniques, researchers attempted to determine whether the staining was intentional or accidental.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
This will avoid causing damage to the sealant and potential staining.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Critically, the ancient teeth from betel nut chewers are distinguishable because of red staining.
—Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 19 Aug. 2025
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
Worse yet, the black olive tree caterpillar also feeds on these galls caused by the mites, accelerating staining through its droppings.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 May 2026
Leave enough room to mow around the tree, cut it back each season, and make any repairs to your fence, such as staining or board replacement.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 May 2026
Sometimes the warning sign is subtle staining — especially yellow or brown discoloration on walls or ceilings.
—Ryan Brennan
may 8, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Picture murmurations of starlings staining the sky like ink drops or flocks of sheep flowing like liquid.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
The process involved stenciling all the pattern pieces, pre-staining them, and adding dragon skin silicone, a strong and stretchy mold material, which was painted with glue gel to give it that wet look.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 May 2026
Once the structure is built, consider painting or staining the wood to both ensure the material's long-term integrity and enhance the overall look.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2026
Porcelain options tend to resist staining better than other materials.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for staining
Noun
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This organic material serves as a food source for both mold and bacteria—which explains how showers can appear clean yet exhibit odor or discoloration in grout lines and corners, where organic matter tends to collect.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
10 May 2026
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For discoloration, use a cleaning solution of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The twins daydreamed about eating Kentucky Fried Chicken and painting their new bedrooms pink and blue.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
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Sigg’s intention was always to gift the collection—a nearly 1,500-work group of Chinese contemporary art spanning everything from painting to performance and digital art—to a Chinese institution, so that it could be seen by the public.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For a country that relies on crude oil and natural gas exports for a significant chunk of its budget revenue, these attacks are not only producing financial strain for the Kremlin but darkening the Russian people’s psychology as well.—
Daniel DePetris,
Twin Cities,
15 May 2026
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The shades of twilight in Badlands National Park would test the limits of a Crayola 64-pack—the darkening sky contrasted against multilayered rock formations changing colors in the dying light.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The atmosphere is lousy with the stuff, tinting the air a butterscotch color—except near the sun in the sky, where light scattering creates a blue aura that is best visible at sunset.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2026
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Consider tinting your brows one to two shades darker than your new hair color for a cohesive look.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Despite a sluggish start, the Atlanta Dream gutted out a 77-72 victory over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday night, spoiling the Wings' home opener and improving their record to 2-0 in the process.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
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Anyone can shop the deals, but there are a few ways to save when spoiling your pets.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Staining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staining. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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