as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
that rare political campaign that wasn't marred by the taint of false accusations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to poison
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pollute
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of taint
Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 24 Jan. 2025
Such stories also give permission to new forms, while protecting designs from too strong a taint of faddishness, or of strenuous icon-making.
—Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 20 Mar. 2025
The lawmakers were referring to an unrelenting crisis affecting the city of Imperial Beach and its San Diego County neighbors, which have for years been the cross-border recipients of wastewater tainted with chemicals and pathogens.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Noun
When positioned in the right spot, the arm can tease your testicles as well as your perineum (also known as your taint).
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 24 Jan. 2025
Such stories also give permission to new forms, while protecting designs from too strong a taint of faddishness, or of strenuous icon-making.
—Ian Parker, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Verb
A number of pet cats were sickened or died after consuming raw pet food tainted with H5N1.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 20 Mar. 2025
The lawmakers were referring to an unrelenting crisis affecting the city of Imperial Beach and its San Diego County neighbors, which have for years been the cross-border recipients of wastewater tainted with chemicals and pathogens.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taint
Noun
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In the names of Jackie Robinson and the O’Malley family, don’t put a stain on one of the greatest Dodgers championships ever.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
-
One shopper even spilled cranberry juice on theirs with no residual stains.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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His story of being put on a Kremlin kill list after exposing the Kremlin plot to poison Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is told in Antidote, a documentary directed by James Jones that also premiered at CPH:DOX.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2025
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That’s the cult whose members famously took their own life drinking poisoned Kool-Aid.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Slowing down enforcement could be considered a license to pollute — but industry would have to take a leap of faith that enforcers won’t catch up with them.—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
28 Mar. 2025
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Loosening wastewater rules will pollute soil and negatively impact crops even more, McBride said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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People have long claimed to see images in those drip paintings, but the phenomenon is usually dismissed by art critics as a trick of human perception, much like the fractal edges of Rorschach ink blots can fool the eye and mind.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
28 Feb. 2025
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Even in victory, there had to be a blot in the Leeds copybook.—
Beren Cross,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 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
-
Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
-
Venezuela’s crude oil is heavily contaminated with sulfur.—
Keith Bradsher,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Several multistate recalls of pet food contaminated with the bird flu virus have been announced in recent months by the FDA and pet food manufacturers.—
Alexander Tin,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Companies that are adopting this are showing an appetite to reduce stigma and bias, which could also be representative of a more inclusive culture.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Thirty years into the African epidemic, the stigma is still as strong.—
Stephanie Nolen,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The transition has been marred by ongoing disagreements, political tensions, infighting and what security experts describe as a lack of a cohesive strategy for fighting the gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
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What Happened On March 8? The SAT, a cornerstone of college admissions, was marred by technical and administrative issues on test day.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taint. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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