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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It’s made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, and it can even be paired with your favorite lip balm or gloss — without staining the applicator — for an extra boost of moisture.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
As a natural stone, quartzite should be sealed to prevent staining.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Use separate cutting boards and containers to avoid cross-contamination between raw meats and fruits and vegetables.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Ready-to-eat food subject to contamination by raw animal product.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 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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The researchers estimated how much air pollution each person was exposed to in the year before death or prior to their last dementia assessment, based on their home address.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Direct air capture uses chemicals to remove climate pollution from the air.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 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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But now some of the world’s most prominent hotel brands are muddying the waters.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Robb Report,
27 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Sullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullying. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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