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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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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sullied
  1. stained
  2. blackened
  3. filthy
  4. dirtied
  5. muddy
  6. besmirched
  7. dusty
  8. soiled
Adjective
  • Everything from the casting (male dancers, internet faves, and very few actual models) to the scenery (a 191-year-old venue with plenty of stained glass) to the ambiance (candlelit, with lots of bows and florals) embodied the brand's quintessential mix of romance, community, and nostalgia.
    — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 26 June 2026
  • Spread the mixture on the stained area; leave it for 15 minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber cloth.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Definition of stained
Verb
  • The kernels should develop dark golden spots without becoming overly blackened.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • One of the daily specials, a creamy risotto accented with a bold red pepper puree and blackened shrimp, caught my eye and satisfied my cravings for something comforting.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 30 June 2026
Definition of blackened
Adjective
  • Margera tried to soothe the pain by submerging his fresh brand in a tub of filthy farm water, which resulted in a life-threatening staph infection that landed him in the hospital.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026
  • Outside the Lineage warehouse Thursday morning, the smell of heavy smoke was already being replaced with that of spoiling food and filthy water.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 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
  • Not even foundations are visible, and a long gravel road toward that part of the island leads past occasional farms and vast swaths of emptiness and then, finally, to a muddy riverbank thick with mosquitos.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • After all that digging and splashing, a muddy dog still has to come back inside.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 2 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
  • All 182 guest rooms were given a fresh coat of dusty rose paint, new custom carpet, furniture and upgraded bathrooms.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • At the same time, her eyes were free of the ultimate Millennial marker, winged liner, and colored with a melting pot of brown, bronze and dusty gray shadow, visible in her waterline, too.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Verb
  • The establishment remained closed after a reinspection, during which health inspectors observed unresolved violations including food stored at unsafe temperatures, multiple flies in the kitchen, soiled flooring under cooking equipment among others.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 June 2026
  • Heavily soiled or infrequently washed items, like curtains, may also benefit from being washed in warm or hot water.
    — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2026
Definition of soiled

Browse Nearby Words

sullenness
sullied
sullies
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Cite this Entry

“Sullied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sullied. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of sullied for Spanish Speakers

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