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Synonyms
Examples of sully in a Sentence
Verb
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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Verb
Starbucks works hard to keep its coffee aroma from being sullied by food and other smells in its stores — employees aren’t even allowed to wear fragrances.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Not even a string of disappointing sequels, two bad movies, and odd franchise pivots by Konami has sullied its renown.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
The incident — which revived memories of a massive 3-million-gallon spill almost 50 years earlier — sullied some of the state’s most pristine beaches and a rare stretch of undeveloped coastline.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
An equally nasty battle with Taylor Swift, over his ownership of her song catalogue, had sullied his public image.
—Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English *sullien, probably alteration (influenced by Anglo-French suillier, soiller to soil) of sulen to soil, from Old English sylian
First Known Use
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1601, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of sully was
in the 15th century
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Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sully. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
sully
verb
sul·ly
ˈsəl-ē
sullied; sullying
: to make soiled or tarnished
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