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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
In the West, she’s been sanctified, but also portrayed as a sinner, a nun, a mystic, and Jesus’ wife.
—
Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
By promoting dissimulation and sanctifying mendacity, Trump’s tsarist regime works to silence knowledge.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025
After the film climaxes in a predictable shootout, the title character − a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes gender-affirming surgery and is reborn as an activist − is sanctified and immortalized.
—Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
By promoting dissimulation and sanctifying mendacity, Trump’s tsarist regime works to silence knowledge.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025
After the film climaxes in a predictable shootout, the title character − a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes gender-affirming surgery and is reborn as an activist − is sanctified and immortalized.
—Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctify
Verb
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth purged some of Colby’s allies in a complicated internal political spat in April, and the person directly involved in some of the internal arguments said Hegseth tends to side with Kurilla in the arguments over the Middle East.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 June 2025
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Where companies once stored every piece of data indefinitely, there's now a clear need to purge outdated or irrelevant information.—
Rajnish Nath,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Some parks, however, are blessed with ample indoor options.—
Matt Alderton,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
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This product leaves my skin feeling deeply moisturized and blessed after each shower.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
23 June 2025
Verb
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The ore is purified, dissolved in hot acid and converted into uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a gaseous compound.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Biogas’s new plant, called Hidden Hollow Energy, purifies the gas coming out of the landfill and turns it into fuel for buses, trucks and other large vehicles, Tryon said.—
Sarah Cutler
June 26,
Idaho Statesman,
26 June 2025
Verb
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And so, next door to the photo booth where Nic and Cierra consecrated their mutual vibe, cowgirl style, Hannah climbs onto Pepe’s muscular thighs and gets a little cowgirl make-out of her own.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
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For the Gulf states, a nuclear deal would align their strategy with Washington’s Middle East policy, which could then be consecrated in a formal strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanctify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctify. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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