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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bless
to make holy through prayers or ritual
sanctify the bread for Communion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sanctify
For King, defending a people did not mean sanctifying a state.
—
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
But months later, the campaign to sanctify Kirk appears to have backfired in some ways.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
An overexposed photo shows Miralba from the torso up, looking into a white sky, with a ray of light almost sanctifying her face.
—Camila Osorio, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
These are the kinds of faces O’Rourke foregrounds, similarly centering the quotidian to sanctifying effect.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
But months later, the campaign to sanctify Kirk appears to have backfired in some ways.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026
An overexposed photo shows Miralba from the torso up, looking into a white sky, with a ray of light almost sanctifying her face.
—Camila Osorio, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
These are the kinds of faces O’Rourke foregrounds, similarly centering the quotidian to sanctifying effect.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctify
Verb
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Another bill is intended to deter frivolous challenges to a person’s right to vote and protect against efforts to illegally disqualify or purge voters (A6354 and S3233A).—
Phyllis Tashlik,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
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That landslide victory was galvanized by deadly street protests in the fall led by a Gen Z determined to purge a political old guard perceived as venal and out of touch.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hardly surprising when the average American citizen is being fiscally mugged by the consequences of double standards that have long been at play, with Israeli entities not only exempt from registering as foreign agents, but exceptionally blessed to freely interfere in American political life.—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
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Not blessed with a blazing fastball, Panos relies on placement and smarts to get batters out.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The brand is debuting Fango Purificante, a purifying mud mask for face and body, which will retail starting Monday for $56 on the brand’s website.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Virtue’s Flourish line of products purify the follicles, nourish the scalp microbiome and create a fertile ground for healthy growth.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Many Pentecostals, for example, fast for a period in January to consecrate the year ahead.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Even if all these sunny promises are enshrined in contracts, built into budgets, and consecrated with good intentions, there are still plenty of ways the whole project could go kerflooey.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctify. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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