purify

verb

ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce purify (audio)
Definition of purifynext
1
as in to purge
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially Catholics go to confession to be purified

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to filter
to remove usually visible impurities from purify the water by distillation

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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 purify The amount may be infinitesimal—white sugar and bottled water are sometimes purified with charred animal bones, for instance—but some hypersensitive alpha-gal patients avoid the risk anyway. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 The company could use an electric smelter to melt and purify the iron before feeding it into Gary’s existing oxygen furnaces or into the kind of electric arc furnace already built in Arkansas. — John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 In terms of drinks, colonists didn't have ways to purify their water, so people drank small beer or weak wine, Miller said. — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 June 2026 But that doesn’t matter because that’s been purified. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for purify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purify
  1. purge
  2. filter
  3. clarify
  4. refine
  5. extract
  6. clean
Verb
  • Even when Putin purged Russia’s defense ministry for corruption, including much of Shoigu’s own personal network, Putin transferred Shoigu to a weighty role in the Security Council rather than disempower him.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • For many, that pales in comparison to the 60 Minutes bloodbath in June that saw correspondents Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega purged, joined by executive producer Tanya Simon and others.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of purge
Verb
  • Kansas City artists, comedians, entrepreneurs and other figures from the city’s nightlife scene filtered through the business, including people who had shared stages, studios and social spaces with McGee.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The liver just might be one of your hardest-working organs, producing proteins and filtering the blood, metabolizing nutrients and creating necessary bile for digestion.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of filter
Verb
  • Engelbert listed three guiding principles for the league in the discussion but did not clarify whether or not trans athletes are allowed to play in the WNBA.
    — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Budnik clarified that the characters were actually playing Chinese mahjong — a completely different game.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of clarify
Verb
  • At that time, Broncos Team President Damani Leech said the Broncos continue to refine both the stadium design and the overall district plan.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The restaurant serves refined California cuisine with European influences, accompanied by classic cocktails and sweeping views of Los Angeles.
    — Stephan Rabimov, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of refine
Verb
  • The fees that Levy was able to extract in part justified the policy.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • High outdoor temperatures require the grapes to be cooled before being gently pressed in stainless steel machines to extract the highest quality free-run juice, a crucial step in sparkling wine production that cannot be rushed.
    — Colleen Barry, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • Wu said there are cleaning protocols hospitals and long-term care facilities can use to minimize potential spread of the fungus.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
  • When removing ink from leather backpacks, be sure to use a leather conditioner after cleaning.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of clean

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purifies
purify
purifying
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Cite this Entry

“Purify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purify. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of purify for Spanish Speakers

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