sully

verb

ˈsə-lē How to pronounce sully (audio)
Definition of sullynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sully The two cars Bentley brought to Laguna Seca are the only two that have been built so far, and sullying either with a trip through the gravel or, worse yet, into a tire barrier, was definitely not on the agenda. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026 The film hinges on a small moment that not only sullies the trip but leads her character to reconsider her understanding of her father. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 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 See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
  1. stain
  2. blacken
  3. dirty
  4. besmirch
  5. befoul
Verb
  • Donning a pink skirt suit and matching pillbox hat stained with fake blood, Fox stepped out as the former First Lady during an event for Urban Decay.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The sculptures were frequently stained with graphite or chalk dust, whose force of presence was comparable to that of cliff or cave, capable of stunning the viewer into silence.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • The necklace features a set of round brilliant cut diamonds set in 18 carat blackened white gold and yellow gold.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 7 Nov. 2026
  • As Jones finishes off Laveaux with a final spray of her air gun and blackens his teeth, other actors are lining up.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of blacken
Verb
  • Dirty Dishes Apart from making your kitchen look disorganized, letting dishes pile up can lead to food debris and grime dirtying your sink and attracting pests.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 2 Nov. 2026
  • To even wade into the arguments might dirty your hands, and mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Goldsmith said the injunction was to protect her family from that allegedly antisemitic accuser — not to besmirch the woman on Brand’s behalf.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Our nation’s capital is besmirched, on his say-so, with signs and banners bearing his likeness and name.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of besmirch
Verb
  • Myriad violations, from food that should’ve been trashed weeks earlier to filthy equipment, befouled the state inspection of a West Miami-Dade supermarket this week.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • That’s a fate that befouls most of the heroic cast, who are underserved by a tepid script that can’t bother to locate and carry through coherent character arcs that would give this adventure real emotional weight.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of befoul

Browse Nearby Words

sullies
sully
sullying
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Cite this Entry

“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sully. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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