as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tainted
Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
As a Senate aide early in his career, Zeller investigated a tainted L-tryptophan supplement that killed at least 30 people and sickened thousands in the U.S. in 1989.
—Arthur Allen, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
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
Publishers, however, are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious signs of fraud.
—Guillaume Cabanac, The Conversation, 29 Jan. 2025
As a Senate aide early in his career, Zeller investigated a tainted L-tryptophan supplement that killed at least 30 people and sickened thousands in the U.S. in 1989.
—Arthur Allen, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
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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That number includes children, who represent 16 percent of those poisoned and 27 percent of all fatalities.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
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And guess what, hospitals are seeing cases of vitamin A toxicity — of kids poisoned by being fed too many vitamins instead of being vaccinated.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s spread when chickens come into contact with infected birds or through contaminated water, feed and equipment.—
Pete & Gerry's Contributor,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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For decades there has been concern that CWD could move into human populations through the ingestion of contaminated meat.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Lennon's notoriously troubled upbringing was marred by paternal abandonment, frequent moves, and the sudden death of those closest to him, including his estranged mother Julia.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The decision was not marred by procedural unfairness.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Other fluids may promote urination or help dissolve stones, including hibiscus tea, wheatgrass juice, celery juice, lemon juice, or diluted apple cider vinegar.—
Robert Burakoff,
Verywell Health,
7 Apr. 2025
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The philosophy behind Four Seasons Whistler's spring program reflects a profound understanding that this transitional season offers not compromise but enhancement—not a diluted version of winter or summer but a unique period with distinctive character and unparalleled variety.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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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Earnings could be driven by slightly higher net interest income, although the performance of other segments could be more mixed.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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So when the Yankees gave the 37-year-old a one-year, $12.5 million contract to replace Anthony Rizzo at first base, the move came with mixed reviews.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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