1
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
our failure to win a single game completely debased us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
But the story of Hilma af Klint lacks the blunt clarity of balance sheets, and her afterlife suggests that money, far from debasing art, is what pins it to the world.
—
Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Is Alec Bloom’s seemingly sincere political schmoozing meaningfully different from arts-nonprofit-director Gary Pidgeon debasing himself to coax money from donors?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debase
Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Is Alec Bloom’s seemingly sincere political schmoozing meaningfully different from arts-nonprofit-director Gary Pidgeon debasing himself to coax money from donors?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Within this world no others exist, except as things to be debased.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dogville, from 2003, is an experimental Lars von Trier film shot on a stage set in which Kidman plays a woman debased and abused by the inhabitants of a small town.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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More than 100 aircraft launched from land and sea in the first day, with cyber and space campaigns degrading Iranian communications and sensors while the air campaign struck command-and-control centers, ballistic-missile sites, naval forces and intelligence infrastructure.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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Instead, officials refocused the strategic narrative on their ambitions to degrade Iran's conventional military – especially ballistic missile – and nuclear programs.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Well, everyone in show business has to humiliate themselves sometimes.—
Katherine Turman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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But some Cubans still revere the 1959 revolution, and, as one foreign official told us, have no desire to humiliate Raúl Castro (Fidel’s 94-year-old brother and a former president), or even Díaz-Canel, who is widely viewed as a weak bureaucrat.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The story begins on a train, somewhat subverts the typical strangers-on-a-train narrative in which a chance encounter leads to a love story (that is, the Linklater version rather than the Hitchcock one).—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Both its physical abilities and global history actively subvert the philosopher’s aphorism.—
Andrés Muedano,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Dublin congressman told KRON that the White House hopes to discredit him in the race as a frequent critic and to boost the chances of his Republican rivals.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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That is certainly one way to discredit someone.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the president contends there is no excuse for the lack of participation now that Iran's navy has been sunk and its air defenses severely weakened.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Walsh and other right-wing commentators, along with comedian Ben Bankas, underscored Good’s sexuality to further demean her.—
Aniko Bodroghkozy,
The Conversation,
24 Feb. 2026
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The imagery was largely criticized for echoing long-standing racist tropes that have historically been used to demean Black Americans.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To win, Orbán has to corrupt that searing national memory, and to substitute fear of Ukraine.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
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The dark comedy follows a wealthy socialite, Stacy (Cherry), and a struggling writer, Becky (Chalotra), who are brought together at a lavish, debauched New York party.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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