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
Several Olympians will receive new medals after complaining that their hardware from the 2024 Summer Games in Paris have already begun to tarnish, according to the French mint that produced the medals.
—
Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
The cases allege that the AI models also risk tarnishing reporters’ reputations by sometimes misstating their reporting or attributing it to others.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
That was something that was orchestrated, both that situation and the situation with the fortunes that was orchestrated by my ex-husband to tarnish my image.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 14 Jan. 2025
Hired as Trump's special counsel in 2007, he was quickly entrusted with sensitive tasks ranging from negotiating vendor disputes to burying stories that might tarnish Trump's public image.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tarnish 
Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
The cases allege that the AI models also risk tarnishing reporters’ reputations by sometimes misstating their reporting or attributing it to others.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2025
That was something that was orchestrated, both that situation and the situation with the fortunes that was orchestrated by my ex-husband to tarnish my image.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 14 Jan. 2025
Hired as Trump's special counsel in 2007, he was quickly entrusted with sensitive tasks ranging from negotiating vendor disputes to burying stories that might tarnish Trump's public image.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
Verb
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In a 2021 study in the Journal of Urban Health, researchers surveyed adult residents of Flint, Michigan, where the water was known to have been tainted with lead.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
24 Jan. 2025
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The goal is not to taint your hard work with someone whose values are the polar opposite to yours.—
Goro Gupta,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Harding’s career was notably marred by her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, which was plotted by Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly.—
Paulina Dedaj,
Fox News,
30 Jan. 2025
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His legacy is marred by corruption, from lawsuits alleging racial discrimination to allegations of misusing public funds.—
Esteban Rodriguez,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 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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Wear gloves while cleaning or handling chemicals (such as formaldehyde) that could cause reactions or staining in the nails. Perform regular maintenance on manicures.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
27 Jan. 2025
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After slicing and staining their samples, the researchers then slid them under a microscope to measure their growth rings, as well as their blue rings.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Closing Thoughts As Adam Smith observed, science is the antidote to enthusiasm and superstition — yet it must be wielded responsibly to avoid becoming poison itself.—
Jahan Marcu,
Rolling Stone,
29 Jan. 2025
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The elegant and absurdly colorful movie musical sequences are meant to stand in sharp contrast to the increasingly grim physicality of the prison, where both Molina and Valentin are terrorized: beaten and poisoned and drugged.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Don't forget about the pet oyster As the late afternoon sky began to darken, the white Jeep still was parked in front the home with the well-fed koi.—
Josh Peter,
USA TODAY,
15 Jan. 2025
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The pleasant, quirky notes of an accordion join the strains of violin, wafting upward toward the darkening sky, accenting the polite chatter of guests hoping for a handshake and a word with America’s latest King Midas and his Nordic queen of a wife.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tarnish
Cite this Entry
“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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