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
Strings didn't let his injury tarnish the memory of his exciting night, though.
—
Rachel Raposas, 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
This negativism and teen-like outbursts consequently discredit and tarnish the reputation of our country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Cervantes further alleges that unknown parties within the Sacramento Police Department leaked news of her arrest to the press in a deliberate attempt to tarnish her reputation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Rachel Raposas, 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
This negativism and teen-like outbursts consequently discredit and tarnish the reputation of our country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Cervantes further alleges that unknown parties within the Sacramento Police Department leaked news of her arrest to the press in a deliberate attempt to tarnish her reputation.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
Verb
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The airline has been one of the most successful startups in aviation history, but its rapid growth has been tainted by several accidents and questions about the reliability of its aged fleet.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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And you’re also reminded that such things are still tainted, even if the movie twists itself into knots to circumvent such thinking, and the level of innocence required to listen to those hits is long gone.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Morrison, whose junior season was marred by injury, has been the ringleader.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The park's 120th operating season, which kicked off April 3, was marred by several fights between groups of teens, culminating in three arrests.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Naturally, trouble spoils the crew’s relaxation in the form of an ocean princess named Yura (Allegra Clark; Saoiri Onishi) on the run from baddies Zodon (Christopher Corey Smith; Koichi Domoto) and Djeese (Yuri Lowenthal; Koji Yusa).—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
1 May 2026
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Cincy spoiled the shutout in the ninth off reliever Jimmy Herget when Will Benson tagged him for a two-run homer.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On TikTok, short videos often show people traveling to Turkey to fix their uneven or stained teeth and transform their smiles.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Customize it by painting the wood a fun color or staining it for a rustic look.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Who cares about the fact that her friend cheated when her child was poisoned by her husband and her father?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
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Kuroda admitted to using chloroform, paraformaldehyde (PFA), and Trizol to poison his co-worker's water bottle and shoes, according to a Dane County Court criminal complaint.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Note that unpeeled bananas will darken in color and may become mushy, but the fruit inside will still be perfectly fine to use.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
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Skies darkened around the same time over Lake Norman, with a light rain in Mooresville and a slight pickup in winds.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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