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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debase
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
His illuminating backstage account of cable news describes thoughtful journalists debasing themselves in their scramble to retain straying viewers.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debase
Verb
The site just becomes a generically unpleasant way of showing Mike debasing himself to meet the escalating prices.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
His illuminating backstage account of cable news describes thoughtful journalists debasing themselves in their scramble to retain straying viewers.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Poor sizing can result in uneven temperatures, higher utility bills, potentially shorter equipment lifespan, and degraded indoor air quality.—
Brynn Cooksey,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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The city has earmarked money, some $91 million, but not for a targeted effort to stop the opioid crisis from degrading the quality of life for Boston residents.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Coach Ruben Amorim publicly humiliated him before a loan move to Aston Villa for the final half of the campaign.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
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Caught in an undignified situation, humiliated by a hot, skinnier love interest, Jessica was the latest incarnation of the funny fat lady (who is never actually that fat, merely representative of the average American woman).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Food production alone is the leading driver of deforestation, land degradation, and wildlife extinction.—
Sylvana Quader Sinha,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Similarly, some brands are also offering waterless formulas to help protect the volatile ingredient from degradation.—
Adam Hurly,
Robb Report,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Alex managed to bypass Charlie’s detection by training herself to swallow all her natural impulses when lying, subverting the template of the show and what fans have come to expect.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
10 July 2025
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On the flip side, some influencers have posted images of them wearing Skims' retro girdle as a sole outfit, subverting the 1950s connotation of undergarments as visible only to one's husband, said Einav Rabinovitch-Fox, professor of gender at Case Western Reserve University.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
10 July 2025
Verb
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This is mainly an effort to discredit and demonize property taxes, which DeSantis wants to abolish or severely curtail in Florida.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
26 July 2025
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Trump’s theory here, juiced by Gabbard, is that Obama used talk of Russian election interference to discredit Trump’s 2016 election win and hobble his first term in office.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Check if the customer database can be fully restored within a 24-hour recovery time after simulated data corruption.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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Fighting rampant government corruption was Zelensky’s main campaign pledge ahead of the 2019 election.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
Verb
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This weakens their ability to educate, create, and grow.—
Miguel Cardona,
Time,
21 July 2025
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This could help verify recent findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) that suggest this strange force is actually weakening over time.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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While instilling fear by propagating cruelty may be a de facto policy to deter others from immigrating to the U.S., demeaning people in this way demeans us all.—
Nicole Widdersheim,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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The former Islander was removed from the villa after using a word that demeans the Asian community.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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