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
Peaks and valleys are part of any small business’s journey, but missing just one of those monthly bills can tarnish your credit for years.
—
Eyal Lifshitz, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Seasons were spoiled, and careers were tarnished all because Martin couldn’t be honest with himself, his family members, and the world, until now.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2025
The fallout of that moment tarnished Smith’s reputation and led to him being banned from the Oscars for 10 years.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2025
But last year, Sonos tarnished its reputation by rushing an app update to coincide with its first wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace.
—Ars Technica, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Eyal Lifshitz, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Seasons were spoiled, and careers were tarnished all because Martin couldn’t be honest with himself, his family members, and the world, until now.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2025
The fallout of that moment tarnished Smith’s reputation and led to him being banned from the Oscars for 10 years.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2025
But last year, Sonos tarnished its reputation by rushing an app update to coincide with its first wireless headphones, the Sonos Ace.
—Ars Technica, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
Verb
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In its letter, the committee said that Albanese’s rhetoric tainted both the U.N. as an institution and her own position.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Cena's victory, following Mysterio's earlier match, tainted Mysterio's win and shifted focus to Cena's confrontation with the returning CM Punk, overshadowing Mysterio's moment.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The dashboard was part of an extended pressure campaign from Buttigieg, who, during his tenure in the Biden administration, publicly challenged the major carriers to improve service and transparency—particularly after a summer marred by cancellations and flight delays.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
8 Apr. 2025
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What to Know Artists like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have previously clashed with ticketing platforms, with Swift's 2022 tour marred by widespread ticket access issues.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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If Bonhoeffer’s example is used to justify more far-right Christian violence in America, that would be another tragedy — and a cruel irony that would stain the legacy of a man who gave up everything to confront a tyrant.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2025
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Pérez's manager, Enrique Paulino, spoke to reporters at the scene, his shirt stained with blood.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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Calls to poison control centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion increased 530 percent between 2012 and 2021, according to one analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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During the day, their color darkens.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2025
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Shared pool, pet-friendly, concierge, bike rentals, room-darkening shades Proximity is a big perk when staying at this luxe bungalow villa—downtown Tulum is just five minutes away by car, 10 minutes from the beach, and 15 minutes from Gran Cenote and Kaan Luum Lagoon.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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