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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blessing
to make holy through prayers or ritual
sanctify the bread for Communion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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While purging senior military leaders, Xi has grown and modernized China’s army, navy, and air force; improved its cyberwarfare; and upgraded its nuclear arsenal.—
Michael Sheridan,
Vanity Fair,
8 Apr. 2026
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Despite the conflict with Iran and other recent military activity overseas, the Pentagon seems focused on purging minorities and women.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump re-posted an image depicting Jesus blessing him, whcich was first posted by a right-wing Republican candidate for a Boston congressional seat.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
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That version depicted the president in red and white robes holding a light in one hand and blessing a sick man with the other.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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 24 Apr. 2026.
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