"sully the image" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a situation in which someone or something has caused a bad impression, detracted from the desired outcome, or tarnished an idea or reputation. For example: "The politician's behavior in public sullied the image that his campaign had worked so hard to promote."
He said the Chicago walkout would sully the image of teachers' unions.
He criticized American news media outlets as seeking to "sully the image of the church and the Catholic priesthood".
Jo-Ellen Pozner, a professor of management and organization at University of California, Berkeley, said that Mr. Ellison was using the trial to sully the image of his rivals.
And when, at a press conference, with Bush at his side, he was asked about prisoner abuse, he said that it made him "sad," but quickly added that the actions of a few soldiers should not sully the image of the U.S. government.
Vatican criticism of American news media as striving to "sully the image of the church and the Catholic priesthood" reflects the beleaguered churchman's handy retort: deny it altogether, blame the messenger or accuse him of exploiting such failures out of religious bias ("A Vatican Lawyer Says Bishops Should Not Reveal Abuse Claims," front page, May 18).
Edward J. Stern Edward J. Stern has been kicked out of the hedge fund business owing to his unlawful trading through his hedge fund Canary Capital Partners, and in the process he has helped sully the image of Bank of America and Janus.
Bachmann has proven a useful pawn for liberals as well, because she conforms to their simplistic nightmare vision of what Republicans are all about and fills them with righteous condescension while sullying the image of the enemy party.
Worse for Africa, Mr Adamu has sullied the image of the continent's football just when it seemed to be looking brighter.South Africa, after all, was a fine host of this year's World Cup.
He knew the subtext of any move to Italy: in the past year, incidents of racial abuse have sullied the image of Italian soccer, including several nasty situations involving Lazio fans.
Elite universities set up legal departments for posh students; night schools catered to the sons of immigrants.To stop the proles from sullying the image of the bar ahem, to provide sufficient instruction in the intricacies of the law the snootier institutions convinced the American Bar Association ABAA) to accredit only schools that required a costly three years' worth of courses for a degree.
To stop the proles from sullying the image of the bar ahem, to provide sufficient instruction in the intricacies of the law the snootier institutions convinced the American Bar Association ABAA) to accredit only schools that required a costly three years' worth of courses for a degree.
