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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Wood filler is the best choice for repairing large, deep gouges, but usually requires staining.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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Inside the retro-futuristic Discoveryland area of Disneyland Paris, a full-size Star Wars X-Wing fighter sits on a silver and blue platform which looks like it has been weathered and stained from battles.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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High-Heat-Safe Alternatives While enameled cast-iron cookware is excellent to use for braising, roasting, baking, or gentle stovetop cooking, certain high heat applications like searing steak or blackening fish are best done in other types of pans, like traditional cast iron or stainless steel.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
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Her boyfriend had hit her hard enough to blacken her eye.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Some were prosthetic buttocks, but others were people’s own buttocks, but in various states, like dirtied down and with partial covering.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The rules around grand jury secrecy shouldn’t be broken and care must be taken about revealing the identities of victims and besmirching the reputations of people mentioned incidentally in the vast investigative materials.—
The Editors,
National Review,
16 July 2025
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Other attempts to besmirch her also fell short — as in the 2024 election, when former Sen. Randolph Bracy launched an ugly attempt to oust her from the District 15 Senate seat.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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