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 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