sullied 1 of 2

sullied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sully

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 sullied
Verb
Such shenanigans are more or less expected, and certainly haven’t forever sullied the American soccer fan base, at least here at home. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 Soap invited its viewers to take jabs at the genre in a time when the soap opera’s reputation had already been sullied in the American mind. Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe. Amanda Rosa updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026 But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC. Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026 Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026 The publicity emails sent from Amazon regarding the movie have no individual names or email addresses attached, as though no one wanted their career or personal brand sullied by association. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026 The Golden Globes are a pure and true celebration of artistry that stand for unflinching moral justice and should not be sullied by avarice! Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026 When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared. Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullied
Adjective
  • How To Deep Clean Stained Wood Baseboards For stained wood baseboards, Matthews advises dusting using a dry microfiber cloth and Murphy’s Oil or a wood cleaning oil (remove excessive dirt and crumbs with a vacuum cleaner first).
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The stained glass above the front door had fallen into the street, held up only by a single cord.
    Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Timber Fire Monterey County’s Timber Fire burning near Big Sur has blackened nearly 2,500 acres since its start Monday afternoon and is 5% contained.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The old silver and gold shops, their facades blackened by time, were gone.
    Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • The 2021 event was pushed to September over lingering Covid concerns, but then Hurricane Ida forced its cancellation when rains turned the Farm into a muddy mess.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In 1801, on the nation’s 25th birthday, the nascent District of Columbia’s muddy streets were chockablock with horse racing and cockfighting, according to the White House Historical Association.
    Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Bryna Laub, editor of Daytime Serial Newsletter, felt the show besmirched the sanctity of soaps and contributed to the broader currents of shame surrounding the genre.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Say goodbye to dusty interiors and read on for our top picks for the best cordless stick vacuums, spin mops, and two-in-one vac-and-mop robot vacs.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Even as dusty plasma at small scales organizes itself in two dimensions, the researchers plan to carry to out 3D simulations in the future.
    Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • When To Wash Sheets In Hot Water Washing sheets in hot water every time isn’t necessary for linens that are lightly soiled—think no sweaty nights or sickness.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The leggings were still wet, heavily soiled, and badly deteriorated, LaHendro testified, making the edge detail too unreliable for comparison.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sullied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullied. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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