1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
believed that luxury vitiates even the most principled person
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to mar
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
numerous grammatical errors vitiate the effectiveness of your writing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
a penchant for coarse language vitiates what is otherwise a refined literary style
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vitiate
These men thought that King George III had vitiated their rights as Englishmen under the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Bill of Rights that passed Parliament the following year.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Though most of the characters do not treat it as such, magic could vitiate most tactility: one’s wand could be a universal remote control for every other object in one’s environment.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
The 2017 tax bill was a significant reform, and Republicans should avoid, to the extent possible, vitiating it with political catnip like no taxes on tips and other random Trump inspirations.
—The Editors, National Review, 12 May 2025
Obviously this does not vitiate the whole enterprise of poetry.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vitiate
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
Though most of the characters do not treat it as such, magic could vitiate most tactility: one’s wand could be a universal remote control for every other object in one’s environment.
—Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
The 2017 tax bill was a significant reform, and Republicans should avoid, to the extent possible, vitiating it with political catnip like no taxes on tips and other random Trump inspirations.
—The Editors, National Review, 12 May 2025
Obviously this does not vitiate the whole enterprise of poetry.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vitiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitiate
Verb
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Of course, at the heart of it was the man himself, a deeply polarizing music icon whose years-long tirades against everyone from Jewish people to his peers tainted a legacy that once seemed unimpeachable.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
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Increasingly, judges are opting to sanction lawyers who submit briefs tainted by AI errors, Moylan said, sometimes fining those who refuse to admit wrongdoing or referring them to their state’s bar association for disciplinary actions.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Their reunion tour — which was somehow not marred by any type of familial controversy — sold out stadiums around the world and overexcelled in every conceivable way, setting the template for what the future of band reunions could look like and solidifying their legacy.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ancient lava fields can be seen as dark lunar maria marring the silvery lunar surface, which themselves are threaded with bright streaks of reflective debris strewn across the surface by violent asteroid strikes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More than 100 aircraft launched from land and sea in the first day, with cyber and space campaigns degrading Iranian communications and sensors while the air campaign struck command-and-control centers, ballistic-missile sites, naval forces and intelligence infrastructure.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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Instead, officials refocused the strategic narrative on their ambitions to degrade Iran's conventional military – especially ballistic missile – and nuclear programs.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Russo places a few dry paper towels in the bag to absorb excess moisture and prevent spoiling.—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
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Choosing among loud, louder and loudest shirts, then contemplating whether to go with jorts or florts (don’t ask) and selecting the appropriate socks and crocs, Black finally is ready to go until Sarah Sherman shows up to spoil things.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That night, Kane was injured, and Carsley tried to pick the boldest, most talented team possible, with Jude Bellingham nominally up front, and Foden, Palmer, Gordon and Bukayo Saka in, too.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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The conditions for the three people injured in the shooting wasn't immediately available.—
Siafa Lewis,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the president contends there is no excuse for the lack of participation now that Iran's navy has been sunk and its air defenses severely weakened.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The second is a 100-day sludge line that will poison the reserves oil-hungry nations are racing to drain.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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But would someone go so far as to poison a tree to keep the view open?—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a social media post on Monday morning, Kuwait said a service building at a power generation and water desalination plant were damaged in an attack Sunday evening, killing one worker.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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At least 12 residents have been displaced after a three-alarm fire heavily damaged five homes in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vitiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitiate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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