as in taints
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnishes
Real silver also tarnishes over time, so older silver without any tarnish can be a red flag.
—
Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 4 May 2026
This translated into a lot of polishing, as silver tarnishes pretty quickly when it’s exposed to things like air and water thanks to a chemical reaction between the silver and sulfur gases in the environment.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Crowe believes that Maximus fathering a son with a woman other than his wife tarnishes his character's legacy, as the gladiator's primary motivation in the original film is to avenge the deaths of his wife and son.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Ana Luisa Tired of budget-friendly jewelry that tarnishes after just a few wears?
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 4 May 2026
This translated into a lot of polishing, as silver tarnishes pretty quickly when it’s exposed to things like air and water thanks to a chemical reaction between the silver and sulfur gases in the environment.
—Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Crowe believes that Maximus fathering a son with a woman other than his wife tarnishes his character's legacy, as the gladiator's primary motivation in the original film is to avenge the deaths of his wife and son.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Ana Luisa Tired of budget-friendly jewelry that tarnishes after just a few wears?
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnishes
Verb
-
The sarcasm taints the question but doesn’t invalidate it.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The film centered on the Environmental Protection Agency encasing the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield in a dome after Homer taints the area’s water supply.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
However, an earnestness mars most of the proceedings.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pre-cut produce also spoils quicker and could pick up pathogens when sliced open.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 May 2026
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This post spoils the entirety of the first season of The Boroughs now on Netflix.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Pass the flame over the weed until the foliage darkens.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
16 May 2026
-
Its charming glow is often visible even before the sky fully darkens, which is so fitting and poetic when considering both the planetary and astrological essence of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
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And two, baking soda is an indiscriminate weed killer that poisons the soil.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What Sacks doesn’t get is that by financing and diplomatically supporting Israel, our country makes the crimes of the Israeli government possible, which stains America’s reputation in the world and drains our Treasury.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Every failure of the state now stains the turban as well as the uniform.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnishes. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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