sullied 1 of 2

adjective

as in stained
not clean lying in sullied bed linens that had not seen the inside of a washing machine for some time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sullied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sully
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sullied
Verb
Such shenanigans are more or less expected, and certainly haven’t forever sullied the American soccer fan base, at least here at home. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullied
  1. stained
  2. blackened
  3. filthy
  4. dirtied
  5. muddy
  6. besmirched
  7. dusty
  8. soiled
Adjective
  • Cover the stained area with the paste, and rub it in with a sponge.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 July 2026
  • Victorian mansions that survived great storms and eras of change take up whole blocks, colossal buildings with stained glass windows and towering turrets.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
Definition of stained
Verb
  • It was blackened, charred, the conductor that had drawn the single precise punch of lightning.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 July 2026
  • Elephant Fire The Elephant Fire, burning since July 11 in the Tahoe National Forest, has blackened nearly 14,000 acres in Sierra, Plumas and Lassen counties, and is 92% contained.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of blackened
Adjective
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
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
Definition of dirtied
Adjective
  • Heavy rainfall continued to impact Lollapalooza on Saturday, as doors were delayed opening until 2pm, and guests were advised to wear waterproof shoes as Grant Park would be muddy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Athletic’s reporting and the ensuing federal investigation have clarified what initially looked like a muddy picture.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of muddy
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
Definition of besmirched
Adjective
  • The trend intelligence platform said mentions of dusty rose, ecru and gray denim are climbing among key influencers.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 29 July 2026
  • This soft brown lumbar pillow comes with a dusty teal border that makes the aster print pop.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Verb
  • The leggings were still wet, heavily soiled, and badly deteriorated, LaHendro testified, making the edge detail too unreliable for comparison.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
  • Sacramento argued in court that most of her items were soiled and therefore garbage.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of soiled

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sullied
sullies
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Cite this Entry

“Sullied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullied. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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