STAINING Synonyms: 160 Similar and Opposite Words

staining 1 of 2

noun

as in discoloration

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Dissimilar Words

staining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stain

as in marring

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in painting

to give color or a different color to stained the table to look like cherry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in blackening

to make dirty oil stained his work pants

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 staining

Noun

Bleach is genuinely good at killing mildew and lifting the biological staining that makes white grout look gray. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026 Dylan Gould, director of design at Cargo Workshop, says clients often have concerns about marble staining, etching, or not holding up well. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026 To further prevent obvious staining, choose darker flooring that won't show mud and dirt as easily. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026 Each of the 22 rays is represented in the primary somatosensory cortex by a distinct morphological module — a stripe of tissue identifiable under cytochrome oxidase staining, arranged in a pattern that mirrors the star’s geometry. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 Ideally, they are planted in a large, open green space where the falling walnuts won’t cause damage, harm, or permanent staining. — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 May 2026 By harnessing a particle accelerator to generate extraordinarily bright, coherent X-rays, the team was able to capture high-resolution internal anatomy in seconds, without the lengthy staining or other preprocessing steps often required for soft-tissue contrast in standard lab scanners. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026 Using chemical imaging techniques, researchers attempted to determine whether the staining was intentional or accidental. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026 Critically, the ancient teeth from betel nut chewers are distinguishable because of red staining. — Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 19 Aug. 2025

Verb

Hydrogen peroxide acts as a mild disinfectant that kills mold and bacteria and is very helpful for light staining. — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 27 Sep. 2026 Use only white, clear or purple products on your hair to avoid staining. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026 Caie concurs, recommending paying careful attention to the cuticles before adding a base coat to fill nail ridges and prevent staining. — Violet Hayward, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2026 An ocular staining score of 5 or higher in at least one eye earns one point in the ACR/EULAR criteria. — Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2026 More rubbing produces mahogany, tan and brown hues, caused by staining from contact with vegetation. — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026 Worse still, gunk and staining on shelves can be off-putting. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2026 Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren’t wiped up right away. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026 Her hobbies include quilting, gardening and refurbishing furniture with Bill, with Hiers often adding the finishing touches by staining and painting their projects. — Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for staining

Noun

While some discoloration is simply the result of irritation or hair removal, a sudden change is worth paying attention to.

— Glamour, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026
All three victims had injuries, marks and discoloration on their bodies.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of discoloration

Verb

The Trib is withholding Nick’s full name to avoid marring his reputation in the eyes of future employers or others who might run a search on him.

— Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
The latter track takes overt inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, as Jepsen beckons her love to engage in life’s vices with her, like marring bedsheets with fruit stains and dashing nude through the garden.

— Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of marring

Verb

Despite increasingly critical media coverage of AI and the spread of data centers across the US, one news network has been painting a more positive picture.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Not all of Wright’s suggestions for painting the museum were so subtle.

— Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of painting

Verb

Lines at Russian gas stations, crippled refineries, and images of burning oil depots blackening the sky lent credence to the narrative, as did blackouts and fuel shortages in Crimea.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026
There’s more than just blackening bananas; electrodes embedded in the fruit transmit electrical signals into sound and light tones that constantly shift.

— Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of blackening

Verb

The neutral palette feels a little more friendly and relaxed rather than dark and serious, which adds a certain brightness back into the rapidly darkening days.

— Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2026
But at a festive National Day meal in Riyadh, where families dined while patriotic songs filled the room, there was a growing sense that the public mood may be darkening.

— Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of darkening

Verb

The pumpkin takes their place, tinting the dough a pretty golden color.

— Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 15 Aug. 2026
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talked about tinting the windows to AT&T Stadium following the FIFA World Cup in an interview with Fox 4.

— Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of tinting

Verb

Alongside Stonestreet’s return, Ritter is also back in the Dexter universe, but the cast and crew were more careful about not spoiling how.

— Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Without spoiling the plot, there’s a dispiriting note at the end of the film as text on-screen informs us that some very high percentage of Americans get their news from Facebook to this day.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of spoiling

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stained

staining

stainless

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“Staining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/staining. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of staining

noun

verb

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