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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bless
to make holy through prayers or ritual
sanctify the bread for Communion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sanctify
G‑d’s purpose in creating the world was that all of creation be sanctified, imbuing it with holiness and spirituality.
—
Rabbi Moishe Kievman, Sun Sentinel, 20 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Rabbi Moishe Kievman, Sun Sentinel, 20 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctify
Verb
-
Bulimia nervosa is a cyclical condition in which someone binges and then compensates with purging behavior such as vomiting or taking laxatives, according to National Eating Disorders Association.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
30 July 2025
-
But Jones was one of the first players new Raiders coach Pete Carroll purged right before OTAs opened, releasing the 27-year-old.—
Omar Kelly
July 28,
Miami Herald,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
My fav event 2 attend, but we’ve been blessed with a son.—
Emily Krauser,
People.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Despite taking up 13 whole minutes of a 49-minute run time, the sequence feels perfunctory, blessed with neither inventive choreography nor elegant camerawork and editing.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood.—
Churchill Ndonwie,
Miami Herald,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Specifically, Vinson and Thorp referenced the criticism that the bacterium's genetic material was not properly purified of background arsenic before it was analyzed.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Some of these caves have fireplaces, and some were consecrated and used as churches, known as rupestre.—
Aileen Weintraub,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 July 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Sanctify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctify. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share