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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Order 1 dissolved the ruling Baath Party and removed all senior party members from their government positions, purging the administrative class that ran its ministries, hospitals and schools.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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Heaters were deployed to keep the Orion capsule on top of the rocket warm, while rocket-purging systems were adapted to the cold.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the Chaldean Iraqi American Association of Michigan bought the club years ago, a rabbi from Temple Israel was among the first to welcome them to the neighborhood, even blessing the facility for them.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Sweet Venus begins blessing your foundation zone today, reminding you of all the thoughtful tweaks that could make your space feel calmer and more welcoming.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 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 16 Mar. 2026.
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