as in contamination
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sullying
John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Social media was full of people accusing Canada of sullying the great sport and sportsmanship of curling.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The problem is, people were drinking a lot of bad ones, sullying their opinion of the drink.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2026
The scale of the fraud in Minnesota dwarfs the roughly $100 million welfare scandal that rocked Mississippi from 2016 to 2019, embroiling former NFL quarterback Brett Favre in a civil lawsuit and sullying the state’s reputation for oversight.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
Part of the art of airing dirty laundry lies in sullying oneself in the process.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Spurs were a ghastly 11 of 46 from the perimeter, sullying an otherwise analytically pristine shot chart that included only four non-paint 2s.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026
And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Social media was full of people accusing Canada of sullying the great sport and sportsmanship of curling.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
The problem is, people were drinking a lot of bad ones, sullying their opinion of the drink.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2026
The scale of the fraud in Minnesota dwarfs the roughly $100 million welfare scandal that rocked Mississippi from 2016 to 2019, embroiling former NFL quarterback Brett Favre in a civil lawsuit and sullying the state’s reputation for oversight.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
Part of the art of airing dirty laundry lies in sullying oneself in the process.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullying
Noun
-
Left unmanaged, coal waste routinely triggers water contamination, airborne dust pollution, and spontaneous fires.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
-
Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers, sold at retailers like Walmart and Kroger, were initially pulled from shelves in May due to potential metal contamination.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Natural stone can be more involved; it should be sealed before grouting and can require upkeep to protect against staining.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
12 June 2026
-
Keep in mind that heat can also contribute to staining.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
It’s made of 10K gold, so any tarnishing that happens down the line can likely be cleaned or polished away.—
Olivia Dubyak,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Make sure to hand-wash any copper items or other precious metals to keep their shine and luster intact and avoid discoloration or tarnishing.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And Hanceville’s fate is as murky as the fog that pours in at night, blotting out buildings and blackening the road ahead.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
These tungsten atoms would then condense on the slightly cooler inside of the glass bulb, blackening it and dimming the light over time.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
More than 20 years after being declared a Superfund site, Pines is still struggling with pollution.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
The report touted positive results for the 405 electric cars and trucks the county has purchased, with more than $300,000 in savings on fuel, maintenance and the spillover cost of greenhouse gas and pollution emissions on health and the environment.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
With the help of your Instant Pot, spaghetti and meatballs come together in under an hour without dirtying multiple dishes.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Keep them in reserve as a sleep sock to ward off icy toes and prevent sweat and skin oils from dirtying your down sleeping bag.—
Adam Roy,
Outside,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
-
Kelly believes a book like this hasn’t been written before because people weren’t ready to hear the truth – as though acknowledging these famous people’s complete life experiences would be besmirching their legacies.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Also on the good side of things is Sean Bell’s lanky Sir Robin, the not-quite-so-brave, armor-soiling knight.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
On TikTok, as The Washington Post has reported, some creators are making $5,000 a month using AI tools to write scripts and animate extremely dumb viral videos where old men talk about soiling themselves.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullying. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
