as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tainted
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time.
—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Some kits are less easy to adore, whether bad (always subjective), good but spoiled by a dubious sponsor, a combination of both or tainted by association.
—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Adjective
Corruption scandals have brought down several people in Zelensky’s inner circle, including his former business partner Timur Mindich and his long-time right-hand man Andriy Yermak, leading some observers to question whether Zelensky had a tendency to over-rely on tainted allies.
—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time.
—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
Troupis and Roman both filed motions seeking to relocate the trial from Dane County, which includes Madison, to neighboring Jefferson County, saying negative publicity had tainted the potential jury pool.
—
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Some kits are less easy to adore, whether bad (always subjective), good but spoiled by a dubious sponsor, a combination of both or tainted by association.
—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainted
Adjective
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If one neighborhood is highly polluted but nearby communities aren’t, county-level averages would show an overall low level of pollution – even though the more detailed information would reveal a major problem to be addressed in one particular area.
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Her inner light reminds him of the stars he’s seen with his own eyes, above the polluted atmosphere of Earth.
Verb
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The special bond between Supergirl and her scruffy animal sidekick becomes a key plot point in Kara’s new solo movie, where Krypto is poisoned by space outlaw Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
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Kara Zor-El (Alcock) goes on a planet-hopping mission to save her beloved Krypto – with young and vengeful girl Ruthye (Eve Ridley) in tow – after he’s poisoned by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
Verb
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Intestinal infections, which caused severe diarrhea and dehydration, were common in 1776 because of poor sanitation and contaminated food and water, especially in military camps, per NIH and NLM.
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The best way to prevent infection is to avoid consuming food or water that may be contaminated with feces, the CDC says.
Adjective
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By contrast, brewing coffee takes several minutes, resulting in a lighter, more diluted drink.
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To help remove sugar or milk, spray the area with diluted dishwashing soap solution.
Verb
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Already, reports of sparse crowds have marred the Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair on the National Mall, the Daily Beast said.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's trip to the United Kingdom is already marred by drama after reports circulated that the visit was canceled due to security concerns.
Adjective
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But dwarf galaxies are smaller and colder, with more dilute and slower-moving matter.
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Second, a dilute hydrochloric acid is used to dissolve the remaining lithium and the transition metals—nickel, cobalt, and manganese.
Verb
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If your clothing is stained from fabric softener, rinse the spot in the warmest water recommended for the garment.
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Semi-sheer, marbled accent nails look like they’ve been stained with blackberry juice.
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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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