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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for debase
Verb
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
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
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Use of this material has been proposed in the past, but has been hampered by the fact that making CNTs involves metals, and the residue left behind ends up degrading electrical performance.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Further, Israel’s previous attacks on Iran in April and October 2024 managed to degrade Iran’s ballistic and surface-to-air missiles and air defense radar systems.—
Javed Ali,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Ukrainians said they were subjected to beatings, electric shocks and dog attacks by Russian authorities, not only to extract information but to intimidate and humiliate them.—
Richard Engel,
NBC news,
11 June 2025
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Musk, who also owns SpaceX, had backed Isaacman, and felt betrayed and humiliated when Trump changed his mind, according to the report.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
In regions affected by conflict, natural disasters or climate degradation, these irreplaceable sites and items are in jeopardy.—
Sattie Persaud,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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Both research teams documented severe performance degradation on problems requiring extended systematic reasoning.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2025
Verb
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Relative to previous presidents, Trump is much more willing to ignore the country’s interests and pursue goals that openly subvert them.—
Daniel Byman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
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Both underscore how well this series, at its best, generates suspense from editing, while either subverting expectations or diabolically playing on common fears.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Trump’s team is working furiously to keep the bill going on other fronts, too: seeking to discredit Congress’s nonpartisan scorekeeper while savaging Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for resisting the bill and its debt ceiling increase.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
6 June 2025
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The White House has sought to discredit the CBO, but other groups have also presented estimates that conclude that the legislation would expand the U.S. government deficit by trillions of dollars.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
4 June 2025
Noun
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The film's themes of corruption and the brave whistleblowers who expose it feel particularly apt in this current moment.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
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In the early two-thousands, he was found to have misrepresented himself as a prosecutor to help a journalist investigate a mayor suspected of corruption; he was accused of having an extramarital affair; his son reportedly posted misogynistic comments online.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Verb
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And nobody has seen a government that demeans public service.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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But even here on Roebling Street, the actor, who stands 6-foot-2, with shoulders that would not demean a musk ox, was not exactly small.—
Ariel Fisher,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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