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
-
Enter this darling Dutch oven—it’s constructed with long-lasting cast-iron and finished with a triple-layer enamel coating that prevents chipping, fading, cracking, and staining with use.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
-
After victims were taken inside the hospital, photos taken by an employee of the Gaza Ministry of Health show blood staining multiple floors of the stairwell.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, rinsing again can increase the risk of cross-contamination from your sink, hands, or utensils.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
-
There was what was called the ‘contamination rule’.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
But some scientists, while endorsing the need to drastically reduce planet-heating pollution, warned against cutting off research into polar geoengineering.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The strategy focuses on five pillars, including climate action, and a long-term goal to eliminate the discharge of hazardous chemicals, preventing wastewater and air pollution, and enabling the recovery of water and chemistry across the supply chain.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Sullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullying. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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