as in degraded
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
corrupt businessmen who are out to fleece the public corrupt business practices that should be investigated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
a dead mouse corrupting in the walls produced a terrible smell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
some observers believe that grossly violent movies corrupt the people who watch them as well as the people who make them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
he bragged about having corrupted half of the officials on the city council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of corrupt
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
In its sophomore season, Cross is in pursuit of a ruthless vigilante who is hunting down corrupt billionaire magnates.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Adjective
Now his administration says Trump is merely doing the same thing as the most corrupt president in American history.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
In its sophomore season, Cross is in pursuit of a ruthless vigilante who is hunting down corrupt billionaire magnates.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
But now, federal prosecutors say Hennen is the fixer behind the biggest point-shaving scandal in history, accused of bribing 39 college players, corrupting 17 programs and fixing — or trying fix — 29 games to enrich himself and other gamblers.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
-
The patriarch’s rage at feeling degraded in America turns the home into a war zone.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The company acknowledges that direct recycling will not replace chemical methods entirely, particularly for mixed or degraded end-of-life batteries.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a culture of AI slop and brain rot, and in an administration that prioritizes propaganda and graft over governing.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Note that this is a temporary arrangement, as cranberries will rot in water.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Cold storage facilities have long struggled to automate inventory management due to frost, airflow, condensation, and glare, all of which degrade conventional sensors and scanning systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
To degrade what's left of Iran's nuclear program and missile-making capacity?—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even without bribing the bots to provide direct advertising, brands are already trying to find ways to get into the good books of AI search results.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Per capita income was just $4,000, and the government once tried to bribe me to provide more friendly coverage.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And the American health care system isn't set up to help people get through it, Mauldin outlines in the book, by way of inaccessible health care, lack of caregiver supports, expensive treatments and an overall de-valuing of sick people and those with disabilities.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In January 2025, a hospital in West Texas began reporting that children were coming in sick with measles.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
About 10 percent of the county’s waste is green material, which includes decaying trees and invasive plants.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Not only does topping a crape myrtle turn it into an eyesore, but these brutal pruning cuts can cause disease and decay to set into the wood.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yet, because of the loophole in the Citizens United ruling, foreign investors can now subvert that federal law through multinational corporations.—
Michael Gianaris,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Gourault often subverts the extractivist logic of new media technologies and employs open-source investigation in the production of his films.—
Farren Fei Yuan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out their gang, with Zero Mostel as the crooked attorney who serves as a go-between.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Descend its famously crooked path, flanked by cascading hydrangeas and storybook Edwardian homes—then watch cars zigzag through eight tight switchbacks while tourists crowd the sidewalks, snapping photos of its surreal descent.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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