as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in poisoned
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contaminated
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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tainted
Brenda Goodman, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
Following the Vatican leaks and Benedict’s tainted legacy, Bergoglio aims to deliver his resignation but is met with resistance by the acting Pope, who has other plans for the Cardinal.
—EW.com, 14 Sep. 2024
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tainted 
Adjective
Without this work, however, outbreaks of foodborne illness might never be spotted or traced back to a tainted ingredient, and more people would get sick and die.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
Following the Vatican leaks and Benedict’s tainted legacy, Bergoglio aims to deliver his resignation but is met with resistance by the acting Pope, who has other plans for the Cardinal.
—EW.com, 14 Sep. 2024
Verb
But the appeals court said the appearance of a conflict still tainted Willis’ handling of the case.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tainted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainted
Verb
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Haunting pictures of rows of small bodies covered in white sheets—some of the 400 children who were poisoned in the attack—became emblematic of the Assad regime’s cruelty.Gregory D. Koblentz, Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2024
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Poisoned Data, Poisoned Outcomes One of the biggest dangers in the AI supply chain is poisoned training data.Steve Wilson, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Carnivorous mammals can contract it by coming into contact with infected birds or a contaminated environment.Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 25 Dec. 2024
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Salmonella can be spread via contaminated water errantly used to irrigate crops, according to the CDC.Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This marks a disappointing end to a season that has been marred by injuries, including Trent Williams' ankle injury, which has kept him out for the past four games.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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In a Middle East marred by seemingly endless conflict and disparate ideologies, there exists an undercurrent of hope—a movement toward connection, collaboration, and shared prosperity.Hessie Jones, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In a cinematic landscape laden with diluted IP projects, Jenkins is hardly the first filmmaker working as a cog in a billion-dollar machine.Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
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As bowl games outside the College Football Playoff have become more diluted, organizers have sought new ways to steal the spotlight.Peter Burke, Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Vinegar, which is really dilute acetic acid, will help the milk curdle by further denaturing the whey proteins and neutralizing negative charges at the surface of casein micelles.Liz Roth-Johnson, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2013
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However toxic a substance may be, the amount of exposure received by the general population is very dilute.George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 8 July 2013
Adjective
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The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.Dylan Tokar, WSJ, 2 Feb. 2023
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And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.Nadia Kounang, CNN, 17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
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Despite the mixed responses, the image continues to fuel debate across social media.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
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Indeed, the incoming Trump administration’s efforts to curb government spending and improve efficiency could have mixed effects.Michael Khouw, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near tainted
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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