as in stains
a mark of guilt or disgrace
that rare political campaign that wasn't marred by the taint of false accusations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in spoils
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 pollutes
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
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Recent Examples of taints
Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taints
Noun
-
Peel-and-stick tiles are also more susceptible to surface damage (such as scratches and stains), so consider this when choosing where to install them.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Emily Brontë’s novel is a book that stains — its emotions seep through generations, its hatreds metastasize, its love transforms into something unholy and permanent.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This post spoils the entirety of Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 (the first four episodes).—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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Sinners leading all nominees by a record-breaking margin could shake up the Oscar race, which seemed destined to come down to One Battle After Another and Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet (the two films recently shared the Best Picture spoils at the Golden Globes).—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For example, forum participants said a person could sue a company or entity that pollutes a river because the river has the right to be pollution-free.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
10 Nov. 2025
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But to isolate gold, galamsey workers typically use poisonous mercury, which pollutes drinking water and farmland and has been linked to serious illness and birth defects.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sensing Scarlet’s resolve to destroy him, Claudius poisons her.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The picture exudes both grace and vulnerability, and hints at imperfection by way of a disconcerting, coral-like wrinkle that mars the foot’s heel.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
20 Dec. 2025
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Deadly holiday weekend mars broad crime drop The back-and-forth followed a Labor Day weekend of deadly violence in Chicago worse than in the previous two years, with seven people shot to death, according to preliminary Chicago Police Department reports.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Wight says that this process can be done using a small Q-tip to transfer pollen from the anthers to the stigmas.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
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Many japonica camellias, in the manner of other botanical hybrids, are sterile with their yellow, thread-like stamens and stigmas either absent or invisible.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This higher temperature darkens the paste, slightly caramelizes the sugar, and deactivates enzymes that would otherwise break down pectin, resulting in a thicker, more cooked-tasting product.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
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Every night from January 2 – 4, the super Wolf Moon can be seen in the eastern sky as the sky darkens, rising higher and moving southward as midnight draws near, according to BBC Sky at Night Magazine.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Around the size of a bathtub, the grille touches 70 percent of the menu, an idea that Greenberg has been familiar with since childhood.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
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Otherwise that proves to be a checklist of several things the movie scarcely touches on at all.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taints.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taints. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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