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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Recent Examples of sully
The market for voluntary carbon offset and removal credits has been struggling for the last several years to repair a reputation sullied by numerous greenwashing scandals.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
The exhibition features his maps and sullied backpack, toothbrush, bar of soap, and survival goods, along with photos of him sleeping on park benches, crouching on the banks of the Hudson in front of ice floes, and haunting the city.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Manzur encourages that the water be sullied as part of their exhibition to the public.
—Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
But that historical moment was sullied when journalist Sarah Hagi posted screenshots of old X posts from Gascón, which contained racist and Islamophobic sentiments.
—James Factora, Them., 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
The exhibition features his maps and sullied backpack, toothbrush, bar of soap, and survival goods, along with photos of him sleeping on park benches, crouching on the banks of the Hudson in front of ice floes, and haunting the city.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Manzur encourages that the water be sullied as part of their exhibition to the public.
—Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
But that historical moment was sullied when journalist Sarah Hagi posted screenshots of old X posts from Gascón, which contained racist and Islamophobic sentiments.
—James Factora, Them., 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
-
Scorched and stained pots and pans almost always require scraping and scouring, and cast-iron skillets can rust when soaked.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Julia Fox's costume consisted of a pink suit stained with fake blood, meant to resemble the former first lady shortly after the assassination of her husband.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The footage from drone cameras shows a large area of industrial Louisville charred and blackened from smoke and fire damage.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Skip any skins that look moldy, blackened, or spoiled.—
Cathy Cassata,
Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The eggs were fluffy, lacking any of the rubbery slop that besmirches lesser breakfast burritos.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
1 Dec. 2025
-
This cynicism inevitably besmirches players, coaches, and referees who have no ties to gambling.—
Danny Funt,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They should not be thrown, jumped off, eaten, screamed at, or otherwise befouled.—
Eddie Small,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sully. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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