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
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.
—Amanda Rosa
updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
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
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
Verb
Soap invited its viewers to take jabs at the genre in a time when the soap opera’s reputation had already been sullied in the American mind.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.
—Amanda Rosa
updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullied
Adjective
-
Visitors stroll from room to room, surrounded by stained glass and sacred cremains, serving witness to moving and often head-scratching performances.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Quick wash cycles are best for lightly soiled or musty items and small loads, not for stained or heavily used laundry.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The shrimp basket at B&J's Steak and Seafood includes a half pound of shrimp fried, grilled, blackened or boiled.—
Bill Dawers - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
2 June 2026
-
Look for blackened, dim, and flickering bulbs during your inspections and replace those as well.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
But, the freedom loving sane people of this great country came to Karoline's defense to show support, destroy the filthy LIBS and celebrate the greatest press secretary this country has ever employed.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Fans fought in the streets, heaved bottles, smashed windows and shouted filthy insults in the melee, which left nearly 50 people injured.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
15 June 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
-
The battle that follows — a muddy and mean scrum — is even more ghastly, partly for its utter pointlessness.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
-
Western thought tells us that the journey needn’t be muddy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Bryna Laub, editor of Daytime Serial Newsletter, felt the show besmirched the sanctity of soaps and contributed to the broader currents of shame surrounding the genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX's headquarters in Starbase, Texas, which sits at the state's southern tip in the Rio Grande Valley, emerges almost unexpectedly after miles of long, dusty dirt roads.—
Maya Blackstone,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
The nose on my sample kicked off with some dusty funk, espresso, and dark chocolate.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
This step is especially helpful if your towels are heavily soiled or have a strong musty odor.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
15 June 2026
-
The story of Reconstruction had been, of course, soiled badly by the historians’ profession, to be honest.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sullied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullied. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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