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
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
Nothing in life is ever just better or worse, purer or more sullied.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
Here, his white knight’s armor is sullied before his face is scarred, and how that fits this version of Gotham City makes for a fitting rallying cry all its own.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sully
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
Nothing in life is ever just better or worse, purer or more sullied.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
Here, his white knight’s armor is sullied before his face is scarred, and how that fits this version of Gotham City makes for a fitting rallying cry all its own.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sully
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sully
Verb
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Or maybe your seat cushions are sunken in or stained.—
Louryn Strampe,
WIRED,
14 Feb. 2025
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In her home design YouTube videos, Gater frequently makes over second-hand items like hutches, tables, and cabinets by adding coats of paint or stain and replacing the hardware.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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By the end of January, the Palisades and Eaton fires had collectively burned more than 37,000 acres of land, blackened more than 1,500 structures, and claimed 29 lives, according to the New York Times.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
19 Feb. 2025
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Historians will see the fires that blackened much of Los Angeles this year as one of the state’s most significant events and how recovery is managed, or mismanaged, will be legend.—
Dan Walters,
The Mercury News,
18 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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With her buzz cut and Bikini Kill T-shirt, Brie Larson’s Elektra is presented as a rebel, a provocateur, and the kind of obsessively angry soul who might well carry her microphone around town in order to besmirch her mother and berate the world.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Feb. 2025
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Images illustrating the reality versus carefully edited Instagram selfies have somewhat besmirched Santorini’s romantic reputation of late.—
Helen Iatrou,
AFAR Media,
16 Dec. 2024
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
Articles Related to sully
Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sully. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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