How to Use tarnish in a Sentence

tarnish

1 of 2 verb
  • Some foods will tarnish silver.
  • The scandal tarnished his reputation.
  • It’s made of stainless steel and won’t tarnish or turn green.
    — Alesandra Dubin, Woman's Day, 27 Dec. 2022
  • Don't skip this step as moisture will tarnish brass.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The brand boasts that their pieces don’t tarnish and are long-lasting.
    — Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 June 2022
  • All these changes have tarnished college sports.
    — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Man, Mike’s rep is getting more tarnished by the day.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Dec. 2025
  • Brass can tarnish more in some areas than others.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
  • And that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her.
    — Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2023
  • This tarnishes my view of Dean.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Things that start off shiny usually tarnish.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
  • 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 image of a great team could be tarnished by their sanctioned leader.
    — Rainer Sabin, USA TODAY, 26 July 2023
  • There are also longer-term issues that could tarnish the allure of tax cuts.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2024
  • But the passage of time has also tarnished the late queen’s legacy.
    — ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Dry the globes thoroughly with a dry cloth to prevent tarnish.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
  • In your photographs, the quarters are old and tarnished, not shiny and new.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The greenheart wood planks are intact; the name plaque on the stern is barely tarnished.
    — Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Your competition will be tarnished if the match goes ahead.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Not tarnished because of this conflict.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Ketchup can remove light tarnish and brighten up old silver, as well as brass and copper.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
  • Like the other pieces of copper cookware featured here, this wok will tarnish over time.
    — Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2023
  • If so, will his influence in the upper chamber be tarnished?
    — Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Soak the silver in the mixture until all tarnish is removed.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
  • Menendez has denied the charges and blamed a shadowy cabal trying to tarnish his name.
    — Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2023
  • Even just one exposure like this may tarnish a surface beyond your own repair.
    — Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 31 July 2022
  • This technique works if the metals are just a bit grimy, but wood ash can also be used to remove tarnish and rust, too.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Mar. 2026
  • 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
  • So why would Rogan tarnish his brand, and risk his fortune, by being thoughtful?
    — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2021

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 short,this icon of the golden age of travel shows no sign of tarnish.
    — Ann Shields, AFAR Media, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Over the months and years, silver begins to darken from tarnish.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Her legacy is in cement, above and beyond tarnish.
    — Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
  • Dip a soft cloth in the solution and rub the silver to remove the tarnish.
    — Lauren Smith McDonough, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Dip a soft cloth in the solution and use it to rub the silver to remove the tarnish.
    — Lauren Smith McDonough, Good Housekeeping, 28 Feb. 2023
  • For heavier tarnish, mix a paste of three parts baking soda to one part water.
    — Lauren Smith, Good Housekeeping, 20 Nov. 2018
  • None of the tarnish is likely to follow him across the Atlantic.
    — David Segal, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2022
  • 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
  • Polish the silver to remove any tarnish.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 17 Nov. 2025
  • When all the tarnish is gone, remove the silver from the mixture, rinse with clean water, and dry with a soft cloth.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
  • Copper tongue scrapers may rust, tarnish, or discolor over time.
    — Lacey Muinos, Health, 23 Jan. 2023
  • Corrosion, also known as tarnish, is the green buildup that appears on copper over time.
    — Amy Mitchell, Country Living, 14 Jan. 2020
  • The durable flatware is made to last and is rust, tarnish, and corrosion resistant.
    — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2023
  • Apply it to silver flatware, jewelry, or serving pieces, and use a soft cloth to rub away the tarnish.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
  • 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
  • But Rustin was never able to completely scrub out the tarnish of his conviction.
    — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2020
  • 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
  • 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
  • Over time, however, its beauty can become blackened with tarnish.
    — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2022
  • If the ketchup contains sulfites, using it may actually make the tarnish worse.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
  • If there's still some residual tarnish, repeat the poultice treatment.
    — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2022
  • 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
  • Ketchup may not be as effective at removing heavy tarnish as other cleaning methods.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025
  • 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
  • The sheen, easy application and no-tarnish factor contribute to a pewter-type finish.
    — Brenda Yenke, cleveland, 20 May 2021
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • There, the aluminum is meant to react with hot water and detergent to transfer any tarnish found on the silverware to the aluminum foil.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 May 2026

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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