Sully (Verb)
Meaning 1
Place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; "sully someone's reputation".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The politician's opponents tried to sully her reputation by spreading false rumors about her past.
- Her husband's infidelity had the potential to sully the family's good name.
- The journalist was careful not to sully the whistleblower's credibility with sensationalist reporting.
- The rival company was accused of trying to sully its competitor's image through underhanded advertising tactics.
- The scandal threatened to sully the charity's reputation and undermine public trust.
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Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The polluted river water began to sully the previously pristine lake.
- Public scandal would sully the politician's good name, making re-election impossible.
- Years of neglect had allowed the dirt and grime to sully the once-spectacular frescoes.
- Her involvement with the corrupt businessman had sullied her otherwise impeccable reputation.
- Decades of reckless industrialization had managed to sully the air in what was once a pristine wilderness area.
Synonyms
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Meaning 3
Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have defamed me!"; "The article in the paper sullied my reputation".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The malicious rumors sullied the politician's reputation, nearly costing them the election.
- Her rival attempted to sully her character by spreading false information about her past.
- The baseless accusations sullied the company's reputation and led to a significant decline in sales.
- The false allegations sullied his name and caused him to lose his job.
- The media's biased reporting sullied the athlete's reputation, leading to widespread public criticism.