Synonyms of sullying

sullying 1 of 2

noun

as in contamination

Related Words

• contamination
• tarnishing
• pollution
• debasement
• perversion
• desecration
• corruption
• blasphemy
• defilement
• profanation
• violation

Dissimilar Words

• purification
• restoration
• cleansing
• regeneration
• grace
• salvation
• redemption
• sanctification
• rebirth

sullying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sully

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

• staining
• blackening
• dirtying
• besmirching
• soiling
• messing
• mucking
• muddying
• befouling
• smudging
• polluting
• miring
• contaminating
• daubing
• tainting
• fouling
• griming
• smirching
• defiling
• begriming
• distaining
• gauming
• bemiring
• discoloring
• muddling
• disordering
• disarranging
• jumbling
• disheveling
• draggling
• confusing
• crocking
• disarraying
• collying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cleaning
• cleansing
• purifying
• purging
• wiping
• decontaminating
• sweeping
• disinfecting
• sanitizing
• washing
• scrubbing
• brushing
• rinsing
• scouring
• dusting
• renewing
• mopping
• laundering
• brightening
• freshening
• straightening (up)
• dry-cleaning
• deodorizing
• tidying (up)
• sprucing (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sullying

Verb

The two cars Bentley brought to Laguna Seca are the only two that have been built so far, and sullying either with a trip through the gravel or, worse yet, into a tire barrier, was definitely not on the agenda. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026

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