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
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
The standards increase every year and the school’s reputation will not be sullied by the Ono decision.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2025
Tens of thousands of people have been sickened by the pollution, which also sullies the air when the water aerosolizes as sea spray.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
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
The standards increase every year and the school’s reputation will not be sullied by the Ono decision.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2025
Tens of thousands of people have been sickened by the pollution, which also sullies the air when the water aerosolizes as sea spray.
—Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
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Any home cleaning product can cause staining and shrinking.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
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Address any spills in your sink right away to reduce the opportunity for staining.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Currently, according to Applebee's website, menu items include bourbon street chicken and shrimp, hot honey glazed chicken and blackened Cajun salmon.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Video of the aftermath showed only debris from the collision and the ground blackened as though from a large explosion or fire.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
1 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 9 Sep. 2025.
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