as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in poisoned
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy a tendency toward conceitedness taints the athlete's status as a role model
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contaminated
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
smog has long tainted the air of the city, making it difficult to breathe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tainted
Graham Bowley, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
In the street in front of his house, Cooper — the homeowner with the tainted water — met Wilson studying a flare through her camera.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Adjective
One new initiative the researchers have undertaken is to focus on items in the collection with histories that include some contact with tainted dealers.
—Graham Bowley, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
In the street in front of his house, Cooper — the homeowner with the tainted water — met Wilson studying a flare through her camera.
—Saul Elbein, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
Verb
But the appeals court said the appearance of a conflict still tainted Willis’ handling of the case.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainted
Verb
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That number includes children, who represent 16 percent of those poisoned and 27 percent of all fatalities.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
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And guess what, hospitals are seeing cases of vitamin A toxicity — of kids poisoned by being fed too many vitamins instead of being vaccinated.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This has forced many families to collect water from unsafe and contaminated sources, increasing the risk of cholera and other deadly waterborne diseases, especially in overcrowded neighborhoods and displacement sites.—
Maryanne Murray Buechner,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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The freeze and thaw cycle of the area was causing the contaminated material to come to the surface, Nadel said.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Lennon's notoriously troubled upbringing was marred by paternal abandonment, frequent moves, and the sudden death of those closest to him, including his estranged mother Julia.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The decision was not marred by procedural unfairness.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Use a diluted cinnamon spray to fight fungal diseases such as gray mold and tomato blight, and help protect young seedlings from damping off.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 June 2025
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Even stronger-than-expected first quarter results For the quarter ended May 2, Dollar General’s net sales rose 5.3% to $10.4 billion, same-store sales climbed 2.4%, and diluted earnings per share increased 7.9% to $1.78.—
Catherine Baab,
Quartz,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Vinegar, which is really dilute acetic acid, will help the milk curdle by further denaturing the whey proteins and neutralizing negative charges at the surface of casein micelles.—
Liz Roth-Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
12 Feb. 2013
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However toxic a substance may be, the amount of exposure received by the general population is very dilute.—
George Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2013
Adjective
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The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
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And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
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The White House stance may have sent mixed messages to geopolitical adversaries, including Iran as well as China, North Korea and especially Russia, which appears to be snubbing Trump’s effort to forge a peace deal in Ukraine.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
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Stable Revenue Growth Lockheed Martin’s revenue growth reflects a somewhat mixed yet stable trend.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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