as in staining
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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as in contamination
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Recent Examples of sullying
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
The problem is, people were drinking a lot of bad ones, sullying their opinion of the drink.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullying
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
-
Dental Hygiene Products Ingredients in some oral hygiene products can contribute to tooth staining.—
Ann Pietrangelo,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Lithium batteries, other toxic material elevate risk Rahn pointed to lithium batteries in electric vehicles as a new source of contamination, which historically wasn’t a major concern.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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And if there's a bite mark, chances are some contamination has happened because animals can carry bacteria and parasites in their saliva.—
Amy Brightfield,
Better Homes & Gardens,
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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Each footstep sent up clouds of dust and ash, coating everything, including my mouth and teeth, in fine grit, blackening my snot and saliva.—
River Selby
August 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Breathing air pollution does have robust evidence linking it to neurodevelopmental effects in children, including autism.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
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Addressing plastic pollution at its source, monitoring contaminants in marine predators, and integrating pollution data into shark conservation strategies is critical.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just with way worse WRs and a changing defensive landscape designed at taking away explosives and muddying the waters for offenses.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
15 Sep. 2025
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Further muddying the waters, Californians will likely have to parse dueling recommendations on vaccine use.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullying. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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