1
as in to purge
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
received the sacrament of penance, whereby they were sanctified and restored to divine grace
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2
as in to bless
to make holy through prayers or ritual
sanctify the bread for Communion
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Recent Examples of sanctify
God is so intimately present to his friends, the saints, that their very bodies are sanctified by his presence.
—
Therese Cory, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Then, having contributed to the destruction of their careers and livelihoods, he, along with a fellow House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) informant, the screenwriter Budd Schulberg, made On the Waterfront, a film that not only defends but sanctifies informants.
—airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Physicians need to adopt the habits of happiness as so eloquently delineated by Arthur Brooks: faith, family, friends, and purposeful, sanctifying work.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
With an original seating capacity of 800 on 20 rows of pews divided into three sections, the buff brick church, trimmed in limestone, was sanctified almost 70 years ago in 1955.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 12 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Therese Cory, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Then, having contributed to the destruction of their careers and livelihoods, he, along with a fellow House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) informant, the screenwriter Budd Schulberg, made On the Waterfront, a film that not only defends but sanctifies informants.
—airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Physicians need to adopt the habits of happiness as so eloquently delineated by Arthur Brooks: faith, family, friends, and purposeful, sanctifying work.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
With an original seating capacity of 800 on 20 rows of pews divided into three sections, the buff brick church, trimmed in limestone, was sanctified almost 70 years ago in 1955.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 12 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctify
Verb
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Over the next year, Smolny purged dozens of professors, including one who was fired for joining an anti-war protest.—
Anastasiia Vorozhtsova,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2025
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By purging federal workers and canceling federal contracts, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency risks wiping out jobs inside the government and out.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Their prayers were answered and they were blessed with a boy child, or in the case of Rachel with two sons.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 May 2025
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The pope who blessed Rome gave his blessing to the world, to the entire world, that Easter morning.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Verb
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The raunchy yet romantic track invites Jhené Aiko, who purifies the air and floats above with her celestial vocals while Durk taps into his more melodic side.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
25 Mar. 2025
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The Kurama Fire Festival, held annually on Oct. 22 in Kyoto, is a Shinto ritual where large torches are carried through the streets to ward off evil and purify the land.—
Ronald S. Green,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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He was ordained a priest days before his 33rd birthday and was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of his hometown of Buenos Aires in 1992.—
Christine Rousselle,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Later that evening, Rocky himself made an appearance, effectively consecrating his own corner of the fair and Design.Space as a whole.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanctify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctify. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
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