1
as in to purge
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
received the sacrament of penance, whereby they were sanctified and restored to divine grace
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2
as in to bless
to make holy through prayers or ritual
sanctify the bread for Communion
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Recent Examples of sanctify
After the film climaxes in a predictable shootout, the title character − a Mexican cartel leader who undergoes gender-affirming surgery and is reborn as an activist − is sanctified and immortalized.
—
Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
God is so intimately present to his friends, the saints, that their very bodies are sanctified by his presence.
—Therese Cory, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Then, having contributed to the destruction of their careers and livelihoods, he, along with a fellow House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) informant, the screenwriter Budd Schulberg, made On the Waterfront, a film that not only defends but sanctifies informants.
—airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Physicians need to adopt the habits of happiness as so eloquently delineated by Arthur Brooks: faith, family, friends, and purposeful, sanctifying work.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
God is so intimately present to his friends, the saints, that their very bodies are sanctified by his presence.
—Therese Cory, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Then, having contributed to the destruction of their careers and livelihoods, he, along with a fellow House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) informant, the screenwriter Budd Schulberg, made On the Waterfront, a film that not only defends but sanctifies informants.
—airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024
Physicians need to adopt the habits of happiness as so eloquently delineated by Arthur Brooks: faith, family, friends, and purposeful, sanctifying work.
—Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sanctify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanctify
Verb
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Listen to this article WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday as the White House continues to purge the federal government of those perceived to oppose the president and his agenda.—
Seung Min Kim,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
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Just for the record, Patrick Mahomes didn’t get his iconic mohawk sheared off to purge that 40-22 drubbing by the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Along with the support from their online community, Miranda says the family has been incredibly blessed by the outpouring of love and help from their local community.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
2 June 2025
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The King’s Hawaiian rolls at Publix may not have been formally blessed, but come summertime, there’s just no denying that there's something sacred about their delicious simplicity.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Unlike Save Europe, which has hundreds of TikTok edits and YouTube mixes devoted to purifying countries and turning them into ethnostates, the Agartha-Vril zone has no coherent idea or apparatus of attack yet.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2025
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Looking like something out of a sci-movie, the Dyson Zone is both a noise-canceling headphone set and an on-the-go air purifying system.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He was ordained a priest days before his 33rd birthday and was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of his hometown of Buenos Aires in 1992.—
Christine Rousselle,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Later that evening, Rocky himself made an appearance, effectively consecrating his own corner of the fair and Design.Space as a whole.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sanctify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanctify. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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