as in to stain
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sully
That means the air on the Colorado Plateau — when not sullied by the ever-lengthening wildfire season — has become cleaner as the coal industry faded away.
—
Jonathan Thompson, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025
Boeing had already been reeling from two deadly Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that sullied the reputation of America's largest exporter.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 27 July 2025
The Redflex name had been sullied after allegations that employees of the red-light camera vendor were partaking in bribery schemes allegedly taking place in 2012 across 13 states, including Illinois.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Cycling, too, has made changes to cleanse a reputation sullied by the likes of Lance Armstrong.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Jonathan Thompson, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025
Boeing had already been reeling from two deadly Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that sullied the reputation of America's largest exporter.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 27 July 2025
The Redflex name had been sullied after allegations that employees of the red-light camera vendor were partaking in bribery schemes allegedly taking place in 2012 across 13 states, including Illinois.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Cycling, too, has made changes to cleanse a reputation sullied by the likes of Lance Armstrong.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
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It’s made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and it can even be paired with your favorite lip balm or gloss — without staining the applicator — for an extra boost of moisture.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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In his third season in Boulder, coach Deion Sanders continues to lament an issue that ruined his first season and stained his second.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Both of her eyes were blackened.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Sep. 2025
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The bronze had blackened and grown florid with green and white spots.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At Dilara Findikoglu, models looked like ladies in waiting that had risen from the dead; wearing antiquated corsetry that was dirtied and torn.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
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As more success suddenly comes his way, McKinstry has remained the same, friendly and chuckling at his locker, dirtying his jersey and pestering opponents on the field.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Conservative leaders and administrations have besmirched the rule of law in the Republic's gravest scandals; Teapot Dome under Harding, Watergate under Nixon, Iran–Contra under Reagan, and multiple scandals in the Trump era.—
Allan J. Lichtman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The natural world may be past saving, particularly as a habitat for the species that has so utterly befouled it, and, yet, what else is there to do but keep on keeping on?—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2025
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Capitalism is degrading us, killing us and befouling our world.—
Philip Kennicott,
Washington Post,
8 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sully. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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