tarnish

verb

ˈtär-nish How to pronounce tarnish (audio)
Definition of tarnishnext
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tarnish In June, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape and domestic violence after a seven-week trial that further tarnished the family’s reputation. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The Iran-contra scandal in the mid-1980s badly tarnished Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy record. — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026 Streaks from satellites are already tarnishing observations by telescopes both on Earth and in space. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 Democratic leaders fear that the outlier opinions favoring police defunding may again tarnish the party’s brand and sink its chances of gaining ground in Congress, governor’s mansions and statehouses nationwide. — Matt Brown, Fortune, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tarnish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnish
  1. taint
  2. mar
  3. spoil
  4. stain
  5. poison
  6. darken
Verb
  • Hahn told the Observer in 2020 that the scandal tainted televangelism broadly.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Bolsonaro has seen his political career tainted by several corruption accusations, the latest of them involving a disgraced banker paying him millions of dollars, allegedly to produce a movie on his father's life.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • The designer had felt the atmosphere shift after her disastrous outdoor cruise collection in Marseille in May 2024, which was marred by a mini-storm.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • International observers have described previous elections in Serbia as marred by multiple irregularities and violence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of mar
Verb
  • But these two things at a certain time of year, because in the summer, the cottage cheese would rot, and the eggs would spoil.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Digger is, first and foremost, a parable—without spoiling the plot, its events are intentionally exaggerated to make a point about humans and climate change.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoil
Verb
  • Bookshelves are crammed with novels and almanacs, the wood boards of the ceilings stained dark in delicious contrast to the clean white walls and creamy linen furnishings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The yellow color from the fenbendazole stained his white goatee.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • Plus, some samples of Martian soil contain high levels of perchlorates, toxic chemical compounds, also found in rocket fuel, that could potentially poison the planet’s supplies of water and food.
    — Brian Gallagher, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Could something so commonplace really be slowly poisoning people?
    — Sean McCann, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of poison
Verb
  • In its latest incarnation, designed by the firm S9, the curtain wall has darkened and the electronic billboards brightened, so that the tower resembles a TV mount, more apparatus than architecture.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of darken

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tarnish
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Cite this Entry

“Tarnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnish. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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