1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
believed that luxury vitiates even the most principled person
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to mar
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
numerous grammatical errors vitiate the effectiveness of your writing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
a penchant for coarse language vitiates what is otherwise a refined literary style
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vitiate
Obviously this does not vitiate the whole enterprise of poetry.
—
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025
Such words are verbal roadblocks that not only vitiate the meaning of your message but worse, obscure its clarity.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Older now, and vitiated by the injuries sustained during the attempt on his life, Sliwa was nonetheless imposing.
—Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Brazil’s and Colombia’s efforts to mediate between Maduro’s government and the opposition have floundered, and their desire to appear neutral in the name of dialogue has vitiated their ability to act on principle.
—Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vitiate
Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025
Such words are verbal roadblocks that not only vitiate the meaning of your message but worse, obscure its clarity.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Older now, and vitiated by the injuries sustained during the attempt on his life, Sliwa was nonetheless imposing.
—Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Brazil’s and Colombia’s efforts to mediate between Maduro’s government and the opposition have floundered, and their desire to appear neutral in the name of dialogue has vitiated their ability to act on principle.
—Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for vitiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitiate
Verb
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With him alive, she was tainted by association with his poor behavior.—
Ann Foster,
JSTOR Daily,
9 July 2025
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Combs’ reputation has been thoroughly tainted by the lurid details of the trial and strong condemnations from his many accusers.—
August Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The Mets go the way of Francisco Lindor, and he’s been marred in his own slump this month.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
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The last weekend of June in Indianapolis was marred by a rash of shootings that left seven dead and nine others injured.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Customer service was once rated among the highest in the American Customer Satisfaction Index – until relentless budget cuts started to degrade it.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But, unlike metal drill bits, which generally last for years, these enabling molecules are designed to degrade very quickly, falling apart within a few days at most.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.—
Jack Fitzgerald,
Car and Driver,
13 Feb. 2023
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Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.—
Monica Mark,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Feb. 2023
Verb
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In recent weeks, WWE has teased some huge feuds for Gunther, including one with Seth Rollins, who was injured on Saturday, that seems unlikely given Rollins’ other rivalries and the fact that both stars are heels.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
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While Trump suffered a wound when one bullet grazed his ear, others were injured and volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore died as a result of the shooting.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
13 July 2025
Verb
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The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
-
The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Prior to foreign hunters visiting Uruguay and providing a financial incentive to keep the birds’ populations healthy, ducks were often poisoned en masse because they were seen as little more than crop raiders.—
Chris Dorsey,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Has sports gambling poisoned the relationship between athletes and fans?—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vitiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitiate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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