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
However, his legacy has been sullied by decades of financial disputes and a barrage lawsuits from artists and creditors.
—
Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Tom Pendergast had been convicted of income tax evasion in 1939, and Truman’s reputation was sullied by association.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
What started as a general lack of trust for a cloud environment, laden with security concerns, has morphed into significant increase in cloud adoption only to be sullied by the all-in cost of cloud.
—Paige Francis, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
For our first century, the American sense of exceptionalism justified not being sullied by others, not being tied down by alliances, and not having our freedom of action limited.
—TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Tom Pendergast had been convicted of income tax evasion in 1939, and Truman’s reputation was sullied by association.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
What started as a general lack of trust for a cloud environment, laden with security concerns, has morphed into significant increase in cloud adoption only to be sullied by the all-in cost of cloud.
—Paige Francis, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025
For our first century, the American sense of exceptionalism justified not being sullied by others, not being tied down by alliances, and not having our freedom of action limited.
—TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
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Water can stain or fade many silk fabrics, leaving a permanent mark if it isn't taken care of quickly.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
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Tuesday’s attack – during which men were singled out and gunned down from close range, according to survivors’ testimony – was the latest in a list of bloody incidents to stain the region.—
Aishwarya S Iyer,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If a vigorous plant begins to blacken at the top or whole branches are dying back, this is a sign that something is wrong.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
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Ice, for serving Lime wedges, optional garnish Mint sprigs, optional garnish Roast the pepper until the skin is uniformly blackened.—
Kelly Brant,
Arkansas Online,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Crème Brûlée Steve Granitz Crème brûlée is like butter blonde, but dirtied up a bit for a browned, warm tint.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
2 May 2025
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He’s come through with timely hits, dirtied his uniform on the bases and made an impact with his arm in the outfield.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Their reputations were besmirched.—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Dec. 2024
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Images illustrating the reality versus carefully edited Instagram selfies have somewhat besmirched Santorini’s romantic reputation of late.—
Helen Iatrou,
AFAR Media,
16 Dec. 2024
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 23 May. 2025.
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