as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
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1
as in poisoned
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy a tendency toward conceitedness taints the athlete's status as a role model
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2
as in contaminated
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
smog has long tainted the air of the city, making it difficult to breathe
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Examples of tainted in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anupama Chandrasekaran, NPR, 23 June 2024
Exposure to that tainted water can cause health problems, mainly stomach problems, skin infections and breathing issues.
—Claire Grunewald, Miami Herald, 19 June 2024
At least 385 cases of lead poisoning have been reported in 42 states from the tainted products, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2024
Jace Christian Hanson, 21, underwent tests for several contagious conditions that could have been transmitted through the tainted food, Leawood police said.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tainted 
Adjective
Several regions in India have seen mass casualties due to consumption of tainted alcohol.
—Anupama Chandrasekaran, NPR, 23 June 2024
Exposure to that tainted water can cause health problems, mainly stomach problems, skin infections and breathing issues.
—Claire Grunewald, Miami Herald, 19 June 2024
At least 385 cases of lead poisoning have been reported in 42 states from the tainted products, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2024
Jace Christian Hanson, 21, underwent tests for several contagious conditions that could have been transmitted through the tainted food, Leawood police said.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tainted
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tainted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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