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purify

verb

ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce purify (audio)
Definition of purifynext
1
as in to purge
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially Catholics go to confession to be purified

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to filter
to remove usually visible impurities from purify the water by distillation

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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 purify The heavy snows purify the air and insulate the food warehouses, locking in the high humidity and stable chill necessary to nurture delicate winter koji and yeast strains without catastrophic temperature spikes. — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026 Pure Copper Charm, which comes in two adorable shapes, a heart or star, is a natural antimicrobial and releases purifying trace copper ions into vase water. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026 But what if the water and nutrients could be purified from whey permeate and used for other purposes? — Idaho Statesman, 17 Aug. 2026 Once hydrogen is flowing from the ground, how will the gas be purified? — IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purify
  1. purge
  2. filter
  3. clarify
  4. refine
  5. extract
  6. clean
Verb
  • Reality says the dead cap money ($182 million) this franchise is taking on after purging the roster keeps Miami from being competitive in the first half of the season.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The top 10 percent of the entire military chain of command has been purged.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of purge
Verb
  • Putting medications down a sink or toilet deposits them directly into wastewater, where they will likely not be filtered out.
    — Sunny Linnebur, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • To filter a movie about the origins of a zombie/monster epidemic through the point of view of a hapless outsider is an amusing, if rather one-note, concept.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of filter
Verb
  • Haddad clarifies that vinyl itself doesn’t rust, which means that any visible rust on the siding is coming from something else.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
  • With declining enrollment, high administrative costs, significant facility repairs on the horizon and state and federal funding support up in the air, administrators clarified that drastic cuts remain the only solution.
    — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of clarify
Verb
  • Pantoja said Van has changed since December, highlighting the fight against Taira and noting the champion has refined aspects of his fighting style.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The combination of technology was developed to deliver an exceptionally soft and comfortable ride, while the overall construction was carefully refined to create a premium experience from the moment runners step into the shoe.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of refine
Verb
  • After a years-long effort to extract just a fraction of DNA, the Bible hairs turned out not to be Jefferson’s.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Three of the four are co-ferments, which means the beans are put in anaerobic tanks, where oxygen is extracted and fruit is added.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • An original European chandelier, once in the dining room, has been meticulously cleaned and preserved.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Sullivan began her chores, which included cleaning the home’s windows.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of clean

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purifies
purify
purifying
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Cite this Entry

“Purify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purify. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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