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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the debasement of professional sports to a shamelessly commercial enterprise
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
The sense of disharmony is immediate: a familiar scene of youth and learning is grimly debased into one of peril.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
By that time – perhaps only a decade from now, perhaps longer – the dollar may have been debased so badly that one bitcoin might be priced at $1 trillion or more.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
Bitcoin’s edge over gold lies in its unparalleled scarcity and technological attributes—a mix between a tech stock and gold that cannot be debased and can settle globally in minutes.
—Ansel Lindner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for debase
Verb
Only by allowing himself to be debased can this man actually come to understand God.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
The sense of disharmony is immediate: a familiar scene of youth and learning is grimly debased into one of peril.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
By that time – perhaps only a decade from now, perhaps longer – the dollar may have been debased so badly that one bitcoin might be priced at $1 trillion or more.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
Bitcoin’s edge over gold lies in its unparalleled scarcity and technological attributes—a mix between a tech stock and gold that cannot be debased and can settle globally in minutes.
—Ansel Lindner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Unlike many other archaeological sites in Sweden, where acidic soil degrades organic material, Strandvägen’s conditions have allowed organic material to survive for many years, as Gummesson tells the publication.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
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Yields usually fall when fear is dominating markets, but their surprising earlier rise stirred fears that Trump’s trade war was degrading the U.S. bond market’s status as one of the world’s safest places to keep cash.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Shawn reluctantly agrees, but is humiliated when Cory starts acting corny around his friend Gambling Dan (Phil Buckman), and his lackey, Louie (Weiss).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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He must be seen standing up to foreign oppressors who seek to humiliate China and thwart its rightful rise.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Beyond infrastructure strain, our information environment also shows signs of degradation.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
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All penguins face threats created by climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat degradation.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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From the outset, Nortec’s work challenged conventions, subverting stereotypes of Mexican identity — like the outsider trope of the gun-slinging charro donning a weed plant shirt in a lawless Tijuana — while exploring new artistic terrain.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
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Some accused him of overlooking the Democrats’ role in subverting democratic norms, citing, for example, President Obama’s embrace of executive power, or the Democratic attempt to filibuster Neil M. Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Biden’s actions continue to discredit the legitimacy of our judicial system.—
Carl Burdette,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2025
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The current page suggests this paper's explicit intention was to discredit the lab leak theory and remove any doubt that the origins were of natural origin.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration is substantially scaling back the State Department's annual reports on international human rights to remove longstanding critiques of abuses such as harsh prison conditions, government corruption and restrictions on participation in the political process, NPR has learned.—
Graham Smith,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
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Thao has since been indicted for bribery and corruption.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.—
Julia Angwin,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The woman, along with her legal team, painted a picture of a violent man whose abusive cycles included demeaning text messages, physical harm and threats.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
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In the future Firestone dared to imagine, families would be replaced by collectives, children would have autonomy, pregnancy would occur outside the body, and work would be fulfilling rather than demeaning.—
Audrey Wollen,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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