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
The former Brooklyn borough president and police officer has been tarnished by numerous scandals.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 June 2025
Our legal system is certainly tarnished and faulty, and criminal court has never been a reliable venue of justice for women who say they were victimized by powerful men.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
And Israel's international reputation has been badly tarnished by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the huge number of Palestinian civilian deaths in the territory.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 28 June 2025
And crypto has been tarnished by scandals, thefts of crypto wallets, and its usage to hide criminal global transactions.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 23 June 2025
Our legal system is certainly tarnished and faulty, and criminal court has never been a reliable venue of justice for women who say they were victimized by powerful men.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025
And Israel's international reputation has been badly tarnished by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the huge number of Palestinian civilian deaths in the territory.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 28 June 2025
And crypto has been tarnished by scandals, thefts of crypto wallets, and its usage to hide criminal global transactions.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
Verb
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Zelensky, claims that these crackdowns are needed because anti-corruption investigations were tainted by Russian influence and were doing Putin’s bidding.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
24 July 2025
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King’s family objected to the release, saying the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s surveillance of the progressive leader was tainted by the agency’s political bent at the time.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Sure, the game was marred by former commissioner Bud Selig declaring the 2002 edition a tie.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Chelsea's 3-0 FIFA Club World Cup victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, with President Donald Trump in attendance, was marred by a postgame brawl.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 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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However, the damage was done, thanks to the anchoring bias where the news broke, it was already stained in people’s memory.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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It was stained in several places, disintegrating around the edges, and already yellowing due to years of exposure to air and sunlight and, quite possibly, pipe tobacco.—
Darcy Ballantyne
July 16,
Literary Hub,
16 July 2025
Verb
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The health secretary said vegetable oils, like canola and soybean, are poisoning Americans and driving the obesity epidemic.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
8 July 2025
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Throughout a trial lasting more than two months, Patterson maintained the beef-and-pastry dish was accidentally poisoned with death cap mushrooms, the world’s most-lethal fungus.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Verb
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But perceptions of where the economy is heading have darkened.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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Just after sunset, as the sky begins to darken, a 2%-lit waxing crescent moon will appear just hours after being in its invisible new phase.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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