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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
One shopper even spilled cranberry juice on theirs with no residual stains.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Calls to poison control centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion increased 530 percent between 2012 and 2021, according to one analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Seventy percent of the beaches in Gaza are polluted with sewage because of the lack of electricity, preventing them from treating wastewater.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
Christian Science Monitor,
1 Apr. 2025
-
And while housing grows increasingly unaffordable, homeless camps have exploded, spilling into city parks, crowding sidewalks, and polluting sensitive waterways, despite unprecedented public spending.—
Angela Hart,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Even in victory, there had to be a blot in the Leeds copybook.—
Beren Cross,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Anti-mask laws worsen the stigma mask-wearers already face.—
N. Goldberg,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Taking to Instagram, the 46-year-old reflected on the stigma of not being married in her 40s and the complex feelings of love and loneliness.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The dashboard was part of an extended pressure campaign from Buttigieg, who, during his tenure in the Biden administration, publicly challenged the major carriers to improve service and transparency—particularly after a summer marred by cancellations and flight delays.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
8 Apr. 2025
-
What to Know Artists like Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift have previously clashed with ticketing platforms, with Swift's 2022 tour marred by widespread ticket access issues.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taint. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share