sullied 1 of 2

adjective

as in stained
not clean lying in sullied bed linens that had not seen the inside of a washing machine for some time

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sullied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sully
as in blackened
to make dirty people that sully our state parks with their trash a once-gleaming marble interior sullied by decades of exposure to cigarette smoke

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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 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
  1. stained
  2. blackened
  3. filthy
  4. dirtied
  5. muddy
  6. besmirched
  7. dusty
  8. soiled
Adjective
  • Everything from the casting (male dancers, internet faves, and very few actual models) to the scenery (a 191-year-old venue with plenty of stained glass) to the ambiance (candlelit, with lots of bows and florals) embodied the brand's quintessential mix of romance, community, and nostalgia.
    — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 26 June 2026
  • Spread the mixture on the stained area; leave it for 15 minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber cloth.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Definition of stained
Verb
  • Large sections of the ceiling were destroyed, blackened and charred, while the floor and tables below, some still with beer bottles on them, were blanketed in ash and debris.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Pictures shared on social media after the fire was extinguished showed chairs and tables inside the pub completely charred and blackened, with parts of the ceiling peeling off.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
Definition of blackened
Adjective
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
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
Definition of dirtied
Adjective
  • With Jagger’s vocals often buried deep in the muddy and murky mix, the album initially sounds like a druggy demo.
    — Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The rains breached reservoirs, including the dramatic collapse of part of a dam in Hengzhou that inundated a wide area with fast-flowing muddy water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Definition of muddy
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
Definition of besmirched
Adjective
  • Sedum nussbaumerianum The Coppertone Stonecrop gets its name from the dusty copper color its leaves turn when exposed to sunlight.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
  • The dry, dusty air can also help limit some storm development by creating a more stable atmosphere.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 14 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Verb
  • Sacramento argued in court that most of her items were soiled and therefore garbage.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
  • The establishment remained closed after a reinspection, during which health inspectors observed unresolved violations including food stored at unsafe temperatures, multiple flies in the kitchen, soiled flooring under cooking equipment among others.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 June 2026
Definition of soiled

Browse Nearby Words

sullenness
sullied
sullies
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Cite this Entry

“Sullied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullied. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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