as in to stain
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sully
For our first century, the American sense of exceptionalism justified not being sullied by others, not being tied down by alliances, and not having our freedom of action limited.
—
TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
After opening the game by driving Baltimore 73 yards for a score, culminating in his 16-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman, Jackson sullied his second possession by sailing a ball over Bateman’s head that was picked off by Bills safety Taylor Rapp.
—Michael Silver, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
That the prestige of the office is sullied by his grasp for profits.
—Eric Heavner, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sully
TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
After opening the game by driving Baltimore 73 yards for a score, culminating in his 16-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman, Jackson sullied his second possession by sailing a ball over Bateman’s head that was picked off by Bills safety Taylor Rapp.
—Michael Silver, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
That the prestige of the office is sullied by his grasp for profits.
—Eric Heavner, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
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Its players are turncoats whose legacies are forever stained.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2025
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Be careful and don’t use it every wash because these products can stain your hair with a pink or lavender tint.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Unlike a total solar eclipse, when the disk of the sun is completely blackened, an eclipsed moon does not vanish completely from the sky.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
11 Mar. 2025
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But the negro resents and utterly repudiates the effort to blacken his good name by asserting that assaults upon women are peculiar to his race.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Grease dirtied the handles of the ovens, the microwave ovens and the coolers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2025
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Instead of dirtying a larger pot for your supporting dishes, this quaint cooker will come in handy for quick (or slower simmering) concoctions while matching your kitchen atmosphere.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Failing to do so would besmirch Puntland’s reputation as a bastion of stability within a troubled country.—
Vanda Felbab-Brown,
Foreign Affairs,
15 June 2017
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Other attempts to besmirch her also fell short — as in the 2024 election, when former Sen. Randolph Bracy launched an ugly attempt to oust her from the District 15 Senate seat.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Capitalism is degrading us, killing us and befouling our world.—
Philip Kennicott,
Washington Post,
8 June 2023
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At a 2019 commencement address, Mr. Adams told a story about intimidating a neighbor whose dog was befouling his yard.—
Emma G. Fitzsimmons,
New York Times,
1 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sully. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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