1
as in purging
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 blessing
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 sanctifying
For King, defending a people did not mean sanctifying a state.
—
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 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
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctifying
Verb
-
Solid helium flow is essential for purging the engines and pressurizing the fuel tanks.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Heaters are keeping the Orion capsule warm atop the rocket, officials said, and rocket-purging systems are also being adapted to the cold.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The fanfare includes clergymen blessing the fishing boats, plus plenty of music, food, and meet-and-greets with real fishermen.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The Full Moon is blessing all journeys, literal or mental.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rob practiced celebrating the Mass by draping a sheet over an ironing board in the basement and consecrating Necco wafers.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sanctifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctifying. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
