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
His magnetic, restrained performance gives flesh to this mythical character, without ever sanctifying him.
—
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctify
Verb
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During a May 19 town hall meeting with NIH staff members, Jay Bhattacharya, the institute’s new director, equivocated when asked about funding cuts for research into improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities — cuts made under the guise of purging DEI from the government.—
Rachana Pradhan,
CNN Money,
8 July 2025
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All 12 seasons and 264 episodes of MSW were purged from Peacock this morning, despite the fact that the series is owned and distributed by Universal Television, sibling studio to the streamer.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The South is blessed with exquisite peaches all summer long.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
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The nurse called the priest to do an exorcism on the house and bless the nurse and her roommate.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
Verb
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The southernmost part of the tunnels near Race Street could double as stormwater overflow that's purified and used for a subterranean aquatic center, hosting activities like kayaking.—
Sydney Franklin,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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Iran’s enrichment of uranium, a nuclear fuel that can be weaponized if purified to high levels, has emerged as the biggest sticking point in the talks.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
23 May 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 26 Jul. 2025.
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