as in to stain
to make dirty
people that sully our state parks with their trash a once-gleaming marble interior sullied by decades of exposure to cigarette smoke
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sully
Joined by his irate father, Frederick (Brian Stokes Mitchell), the good doctor chastises Mrs. Kirkland for spreading gossip and sullying Peggy’s honest reputation.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Under the leadership of CEO Josh Schulman, the company is once again embracing its British heritage image after years of management changes, declining sales and knock-off dupes sullying associations with its eponymous check print and signature trench.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
That means the air on the Colorado Plateau — when not sullied by the ever-lengthening wildfire season — has become cleaner as the coal industry faded away.
—Jonathan Thompson, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025
Those strikes against Hogan not only alienated the Black and Brown communities but also sullied his legacy amongst wrestling fans and purists.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Under the leadership of CEO Josh Schulman, the company is once again embracing its British heritage image after years of management changes, declining sales and knock-off dupes sullying associations with its eponymous check print and signature trench.
—Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
That means the air on the Colorado Plateau — when not sullied by the ever-lengthening wildfire season — has become cleaner as the coal industry faded away.
—Jonathan Thompson, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025
Those strikes against Hogan not only alienated the Black and Brown communities but also sullied his legacy amongst wrestling fans and purists.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
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After washing new jeans, use a damp cloth to remove any lingering dyes that can stain the plastic parts and lid of your washing machine.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
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Police added that no evidence of postmortem fractures were found on the remains, adding that forensic investigators found soil adherence and staining that suggest the remains may have been in the ground for over five decades.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wait until the first frost when the foliage has turned brown, wilted, or mushy and the stems have blackened.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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Trader Joe’s Cajun style blackened chicken breast fettuccine alfredo is also on the list but only affects four states – Texas not included.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Conservative leaders and administrations have besmirched the rule of law in the Republic's gravest scandals; Teapot Dome under Harding, Watergate under Nixon, Iran–Contra under Reagan, and multiple scandals in the Trump era.—
Allan J. Lichtman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The natural world may be past saving, particularly as a habitat for the species that has so utterly befouled it, and, yet, what else is there to do but keep on keeping on?—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
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Capitalism is degrading us, killing us and befouling our world.—
Philip Kennicott,
Washington Post,
8 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sully. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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