as in unpolished
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as in marred
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnished
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Try The Polish Test Use a clean, soft cloth to rub the tarnished silver.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Moonlight carved out his silhouette and sparked a tarnished reflection off the gun in his right hand.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Things keep lining up against Microsoft , with all roads leading back to the company's tarnished standing as an artificial intelligence leader and how that could impact the company's Azure cloud growth.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
But Chavez’s legacy became increasingly tarnished as the years went on.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Focus on tarnished areas, and be sure to be gentle.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 5 May 2026
And a scandal that sees Runway fooled by (LOL) a fast fashion brand with sweatshop ties as tarnished the mag’s sterling reputation.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Not tarnished because of this conflict.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The actress also denied making the complaint, claiming the allegations have tarnished her reputation for integrity and honesty and is seeking damages.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The squeaky-clean image of the Bachelor franchise has been tarnished, and its programming isn’t alone in becoming embroiled in headline-making drama.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA’s public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Some companies have discovered their innocent shenanigans failed to delight audiences and instead tarnished their brands.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The sprawling case, which has thousands of court filings, is a battle of salvaging tarnished reputations.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026
Try The Polish Test Use a clean, soft cloth to rub the tarnished silver.
—Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
Moonlight carved out his silhouette and sparked a tarnished reflection off the gun in his right hand.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Things keep lining up against Microsoft , with all roads leading back to the company's tarnished standing as an artificial intelligence leader and how that could impact the company's Azure cloud growth.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
But Chavez’s legacy became increasingly tarnished as the years went on.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Focus on tarnished areas, and be sure to be gentle.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
But the Conservatives are tarnished by 14 tumultuous years in power that ended in 2024.
—ABC News, 5 May 2026
And a scandal that sees Runway fooled by (LOL) a fast fashion brand with sweatshop ties as tarnished the mag’s sterling reputation.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Not tarnished because of this conflict.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The actress also denied making the complaint, claiming the allegations have tarnished her reputation for integrity and honesty and is seeking damages.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
The squeaky-clean image of the Bachelor franchise has been tarnished, and its programming isn’t alone in becoming embroiled in headline-making drama.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA’s public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Some companies have discovered their innocent shenanigans failed to delight audiences and instead tarnished their brands.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished
Adjective
-
Elegoo’s slicer shows promise but feels similarly unpolished, reinforcing the impression that the platform is still evolving.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
2 May 2026
-
The charm of these biographies, however, lies in their authenticity – the small spelling missteps and unpolished phrasing that reflect genuine middle school voices.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The grand occasion was almost marred by an accident, the Tribune reported.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
Though that 2017 championship is marred by one of the most egregious cheating scandals in baseball history.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the murder convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk’s improper comments to jurors, prejudicial evidence and failures at trial.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
-
The election beating may have been the final straw for a leader already tainted by his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington despite the veteran politician’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The street in front of the homes is seen stained with blood.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
In some stretches, the water is stained with chemical residue.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Margot’s room is dark and dingy, more like a cell with its anti-suicide windows, and the mattress shows unsavory traces of what looks very much like blood.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
The result can be dingy clothes, trapped odors, excess suds and even buildup inside your washing machine.—
Ryan Brennan
May 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Despite evidence that the two got along well enough, rumors spread in Vienna after Mozart’s death that Salieri had poisoned him.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
But even with this 100-fold boost in brightness, LAP1-B is so dim that neither the JWST nor Hubble could detect its stellar continuum—the steady background light of its stars.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
The hotel seems to cater to corporate guests, with design aesthetic that leans into dim daytime lighting and dark wooden furnishing—definitely more business than casual.—
Mike Jordan,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The bad inning spoiled an otherwise strong pitching effort by A’s starter Jeffrey Springs, whose record dipped to 3-4.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
-
De Vliegende Hollander is a boat ride-meets-coaster with a few exhilarating surprises, best not spoiled by a YouTube ride-through.—
Zachary Laks,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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