1
as in marring
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in polluting
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tainting
Rahmani, the former prosecutor, said statements by Patel and other Justice Department officials could raise concerns about tainting the jury pool in a future trial.
—
Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president's achievements.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
And around all this, the whiff of Epstein is tainting the president's achievements.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainting
Verb
-
Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In the last decade, more than 80 cases have been filed around the world that seek to force polluting companies to pay the cost of climate damages, according to a report from Grantham Institute at the London School of Economics.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
What To Know The annual $1 billion allocation comes from California's cap-and-invest program, which collects fees from polluting industries.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Without spoiling the actual ending, you guys do not die.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Without spoiling anyone’s fate, suffice to say the movie ends on a cliffhanger, as a favorite character teeters between life and death.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That same day, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally poisoning Angela.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Adam Kron, a senior attorney at the environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, said any company ignoring or avoiding regulations entirely reminds him of the fracking boom in the early 2010s, when companies moved quickly to drill, poisoning some local communities’ groundwater in the process.—
Taylor Kate Brown,
ProPublica,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wood filler is the best choice for repairing large, deep gouges, but usually requires staining.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Dental Hygiene Products Ingredients in some oral hygiene products can contribute to tooth staining.—
Ann Pietrangelo,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Can it be taken without an unacceptable risk of contaminating the supply from the ocean above?—
Rodrique Ngowi,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Just as Cassini was sent into Saturn at the end of its mission to avoid contaminating Saturn’s moons with any stowaway organics brought from Earth, so too will Juno be brought to an end by forcing it to plunge into a gas giant world.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the bigger picture for Iran’s oil revenue is darkening as other potential buyers hang back.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Flowers are typically pale blue to lavender, darkening along the midrib and toward the tip of each petal.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sasaki struck out two and walked one, his fastball touching 100 mph, in a scoreless inning for OKC at Tacoma.—
Mike Digiovanna,
Oc Register,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Always avoid touching your eyes, nose or face after handling them, and be sure to wash your hands and cutting board with hot soapy water to remove any residue.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainting. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share