How to Use tarnish in a Sentence

tarnish

1 of 2 verb
  • Some foods will tarnish silver.
  • The scandal tarnished his reputation.
  • The brand boasts that their pieces don’t tarnish and are long-lasting.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 June 2022
  • It’s made of stainless steel and won’t tarnish or turn green.
    Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 27 Dec. 2022
  • And that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her.
    Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2023
  • The Spruce Point report sought to tarnish that green aura.
    Katherine Dunn, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2021
  • The image of a great team could be tarnished by their sanctioned leader.
    Rainer Sabin, USA TODAY, 26 July 2023
  • And this is a good thing since natural brass will tarnish.
    Jennifer Carmichael, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Nov. 2022
  • Keep in Mind: It should be treated with care as gold plating will tarnish over time.
    Molly Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2022
  • But Chuck also knows this looks bad and could tarnish his whole career.
    Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2021
  • But that third one is a hot mess, threatening to tarnish the others.
    Tim Gray, Variety, 6 Nov. 2022
  • The threat to the ideal backyard grilling session is undercooked meat, which can tarnish your meal and body.
    Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 July 2022
  • The versatile scoop was designed and built in the U.S. with heavy-duty aluminum that won’t break or tarnish with time.
    Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Feb. 2023
  • To put it into today's world might tarnish it a little bit.
    Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024
  • Most other brands will do plating but that will tarnish.
    Alexander Freeling, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2021
  • For those who knew Harwood, the Four Seasons affair wasn’t enough to tarnish his legacy.
    Bob Sandrick, cleveland, 26 Apr. 2022
  • There are also longer-term issues that could tarnish the allure of tax cuts.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2024
  • Like the other pieces of copper cookware featured here, this wok will tarnish over time.
    Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2023
  • On Saturday, Mark Magsayo will try to tarnish that legacy with his own fists.
    Josh Katzowitz, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2022
  • The bracelets, which are 14-karat gold at both locations, will not tarnish and can be worn in the ocean, the pool, the shower — and even through a metal detector.
    Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Oct. 2021
  • Menendez has denied the charges and blamed a shadowy cabal trying to tarnish his name.
    Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2023
  • But his season was tarnished by two interceptions in the 48-32 blowout loss.
    Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024
  • No need to push it for now or potentially let Otto tarnish the kind of debut the Rangers haven’t had in nearly 40 years.
    Evan Grant, Dallas News, 27 Aug. 2021
  • The spike in domain squatting is just one of the issues that have tarnished Google Search’s reputation in recent years.
    Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2024
  • So why would Rogan tarnish his brand, and risk his fortune, by being thoughtful?
    Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2021
  • Unpredictable events during the sun’s clash with Uranus tarnish your image.
    USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024
  • Crypto’s challenges could also tarnish some of the entities who’ve aligned with them.
    Tory Newmyer, Steven Zeitchik, Anchorage Daily News, 13 May 2022
  • The spike is tarnishing the economic views of a big group of voters in this swing state, even as Arizona’s economy booms.
    Jeanne Whalen, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
  • The books will be put in a freezer to avoid mold and the silver coin, which started to tarnish when the box was open, will be kept in a dry place to limit deterioration.
    NBC News, 23 Dec. 2021
  • The spokesperson or the spreader of malice only serves to tarnish their own reputation.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021
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tarnish

2 of 2 noun
  • Once all of the tarnish is gone, remove the brass piece from the soapy water.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2022
  • In the midst of all this, the pedigreed Falkeses try to resist the tarnish of the Wolinskis.
    Caroline Leavitt, New York Times, 23 June 2017
  • None of the tarnish is likely to follow him across the Atlantic.
    David Segal, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2022
  • Dip a soft cloth in the solution and use it to rub the silver to remove the tarnish.
    Lauren Smith McDonough and Carolyn Forte, Good Housekeeping, 20 Jan. 2021
  • Dip a soft cloth in the solution and rub the silver to remove the tarnish.
    Lauren Smith McDonough, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Just let the paste dry completely to remove the tarnish.
    Laura Lambert, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2020
  • And if that only took a little of the luster off Nolan’s legacy, his tiff with Jon Daniels applied the tarnish.
    Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 11 May 2021
  • With the pendant's many curves and ridges, cleaning off a bit of tarnish is more difficult than preventing it in the first place.
    Alyssa Haak, Marie Claire, 17 Apr. 2019
  • The durable flatware is made to last and is rust, tarnish, and corrosion resistant.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Dec. 2022
  • For heavier tarnish, mix a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water.
    Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, 20 Nov. 2018
  • To clean away the tarnish, make this safe, nontoxic cleaning solution: squeeze the juice of one lemon into a small bowl.
    Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2022
  • His father did not know about all these eyes, all over the world, seeing the laminate wood grain of his dresser top, the cloudy tarnish on the silver cross.
    Sarah Braunstei, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2021
  • Save yourself the stress and use a silver polish because they’re designed to clean and reduce the amount of tarnish that returns.
    Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 23 Oct. 2020
  • The final question is whether these efforts to be more accessible can shine off the tarnish that is on the Royal brand.
    Peter Suciu, Forbes, 6 May 2021
  • But Rustin was never able to completely scrub out the tarnish of his conviction.
    Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2020
  • Corrosion, also known as tarnish, is the green buildup that appears on copper over time.
    Amy Mitchell, Country Living, 14 Jan. 2020
  • For heavier tarnish, mix three parts baking soda to one part water. Wet the silver and apply the cleaner with a soft, lint-free cloth.
    Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, 9 Mar. 2018
  • Appearing as yellowy-brown and sometimes even black marks, tarnish is much easier to deal with than rust.
    Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 14 Apr. 2023
  • The sheen, easy application and no-tarnish factor contribute to a pewter-type finish.
    Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 20 May 2021
  • The reason the brand doesn’t suggest wearing its jewelry in any wet scenarios is because the moisture can make the plated brass tarnish.
    Rebecca Norris Updated, Peoplemag, 22 Dec. 2022
  • That said, the string of embarrassing Evans disclosures is undoing much good work in the city that scrubbed away the tarnish of its past government scandals.
    Robert McCartney, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2019
  • Rub the mixture on your copper item in circular motions and repeat until the entire surface is tarnish-free.
    Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, 4 May 2018
  • Thanks to the adjustable double straps, the top is easy to loosen or tighten depending on your preferences and the swimsuit is adorned with gold hardware that doesn’t dig into the skin or tarnish quickly.
    Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2023
  • Try baking soda: For heavier tarnish, mix three parts baking soda to one part water.
    Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, 7 May 2019
  • The combination of bright copper with patches of tarnish is far less attractive than copper with a more even patina.
    Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2022
  • If there's still some residual tarnish, repeat the poultice treatment.
    Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2022
  • Copper tongue scrapers may rust, tarnish, or discolor over time.
    Lacey Muinos, Health, 23 Jan. 2023
  • With this nifty trick, a chemical reaction causes tarnish to transfer from your silver flatware to the aluminum foil.
    Lauren Piro, Good Housekeeping, 28 July 2017
  • Baking soda: For heavier tarnish, mix three parts baking soda to one part water.
    Lauren Smith McDonough, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Our tester also did not notice any tarnish after wearing the 360 Ring daily for months, a testament to its quality.
    Courtney Campbell, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tarnish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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