as in stained
not clean
lying in sullied bed linens that had not seen the inside of a washing machine for some time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in blackened
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sullied
Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Those campaigns were seemingly effective; crowds in South Beach last March were much smaller than in the past, when multiple spring break periods had been sullied by shootings, stampedes and curfews.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The publicity emails sent from Amazon regarding the movie have no individual names or email addresses attached, as though no one wanted their career or personal brand sullied by association.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
The Golden Globes are a pure and true celebration of artistry that stand for unflinching moral justice and should not be sullied by avarice!
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
The brewery’s brand has been sullied by Harvey Weinstein-level ick that the PR response so far has just made worse.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Barrick’s North American operations have been sullied by the company’s exposure to higher-risk regions and separating the two would go a long way to close the valuation gap between Barrick and Agnico Eagle.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
Verb
But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Those campaigns were seemingly effective; crowds in South Beach last March were much smaller than in the past, when multiple spring break periods had been sullied by shootings, stampedes and curfews.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
The publicity emails sent from Amazon regarding the movie have no individual names or email addresses attached, as though no one wanted their career or personal brand sullied by association.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
The Golden Globes are a pure and true celebration of artistry that stand for unflinching moral justice and should not be sullied by avarice!
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
The brewery’s brand has been sullied by Harvey Weinstein-level ick that the PR response so far has just made worse.
—Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025
Barrick’s North American operations have been sullied by the company’s exposure to higher-risk regions and separating the two would go a long way to close the valuation gap between Barrick and Agnico Eagle.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullied
Adjective
-
Think soft yellow hues, floral motifs, and colorful stained glass.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Place a dab of olive oil on a soft cloth and gently rub the stained area.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Israeli strikes on oil facilities sparked massive pillars of fire and blackened the skies above Tehran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Once a sky-blue democracy is restored, may Trump’s days of infamy be ruled illegitimate and his name and legacy duly tainted by all of history, darkly blackened or cautiously reddened in the honest records that this twerp and his twisted cohorts have conspired so heinously to whitewash.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The filmmaker shows a strong handle over the film’s fanciful tone and fitfully filthy sense of humor, and he’s credited with composing the film’s score full of squawking brass instruments and skittish strings in addition to writing, directing and editing.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
-
But there’s a difference between a dirty deal and a filthy deal.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Waterbirds eat crab, shrimp and crayfish found in the muddy waters, while batrays and leopard sharks glide effortlessly through grass beds off the coast.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Between damp docks, muddy trails, and the occasional drizzle, they were quickly soaked and scuffed.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
11 Aug. 2025
-
These hardy souls, largely indifferent to political and economic turbulence, were the mainstay of the tourist economy during the civil war that besmirched the lives of an entire generation from the 1980s on.—
Chandrahas Choudhury,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
-
If frozen molecules can survive within these dusty structures, they may later be released into the interstellar medium as the nebula disperses, contributing complex material to future generations of stars and planetary systems.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The Sombrero Galaxy was imaged to magnificent effect by the Hubble Space Telescope — most recently to mark its 35th anniversary in space — which revealed its sweeping disk-like structure and pronounced dusty lanes shining beneath its glowing galactic core.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fill the trash can about 2/3 full with hot water, or up to the rim if it's soiled near the top.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
-
However, curtains that are near entrances will become soiled more quickly than others.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sullied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullied. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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