TARNISH Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

tarnish

verb

ˈtär-nish

as in to taint

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of tarnish District Attorney Gary Pasqua stated that Snow admitted to plotting a scheme to tarnish SUNY Potsdam's reputation, intending to harm a former co-worker, who was employed at the school at the time, by randomly targeting one of its students. —

Corin Cesaric, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 Naturally, Lili is just as concerned about how the incident will tarnish her own reputation. —

Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026 Deborah doesn’t want sickness to tarnish her legacy. —

Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026 The problem with Canepa using that case to tarnish Church’s and Irizarry’s legacies is that Genentech’s litigation stems from assessments made in the early 2000s, several years before either of the men ever worked in the office. —

Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for tarnish

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish

Verb

The left no longer believes that immigrants of diverse backgrounds should assimilate themselves into a national culture tainted by white supremacy, while the right views immigrants’ very presence in the country as a threat to that same national culture.

— Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026
That’s been an idiotic trope for too long — that participating in the business side of it taints you.

— Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026