1
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
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3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
Through all of that, a single nanometer of tin debris coating the collector optic would degrade the EUV transmission to unacceptable levels and put the machine out of commission.
—
Jayson Stewart, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025
There are also plasma eddies and other phenomena that interfere with the operation of satellites and degrade their materials.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
Plus, a dry storage spot will mitigate mold, mildew, or other elements that could potentially degrade the blanket's fire-resistant properties over time.
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Mar. 2025
The conspiratorial right aims to degrade the state’s ability to collect taxes, conduct diplomacy, prosecute violations of civil rights, and otherwise carry out its duties.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Jayson Stewart, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025
There are also plasma eddies and other phenomena that interfere with the operation of satellites and degrade their materials.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2025
Plus, a dry storage spot will mitigate mold, mildew, or other elements that could potentially degrade the blanket's fire-resistant properties over time.
—Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Mar. 2025
The conspiratorial right aims to degrade the state’s ability to collect taxes, conduct diplomacy, prosecute violations of civil rights, and otherwise carry out its duties.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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The venue renovations have significantly increased hospitality and premium offerings with new pubs, clubs, restaurants and seating, while reducing the number of suites from 70 to 40.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
4 Mar. 2025
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Or has your life together reduced him to, as in your letter, a list of maddening attributes?—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Read: The chaos in higher ed is only getting started The situation could deteriorate if current doctoral students start jumping ship.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
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So organs deteriorate while doctor after doctor rejects them.—
Brian M. Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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No, Trump Did Not ‘Bring Back Free Speech’ An August 2024 report by Columbia’s task force on antisemitism found that Jews and Israelis at Columbia were often ostracized and humiliated on campus.—
Solcyré Burga,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
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Committee Chairman James Comer will use the hearing to humiliate blue-city mayors and to please the White House and fire up his extremist MAGA base.—
Peter Cunningham,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Julien flirted with the Mendoza Line before being demoted to the minors after 60 games.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Cockfield confirmed a supervisor was suspended for 30 days and demoted.—
Graham Rayman,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the fourth quarter of 2024, WK Kellogg reported net sales of $640 million, a decrease of 1.7% compared to $651 million in the same period in 2023, impacted by a 5.6% volume decline and a 40 basis point headwind from the weakening Canadian dollar.—
Joe Cornell,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But Dickens claims the opposite, and argues that the research purporting to discredit spelling has fallen out of date.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2025
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Incident brought ‘discredit to the Sheriff’s Office’ Sgt.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn, amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics and explosive action, actually gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2025
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Second, Trump has been able to subvert our system of checks and balances because so many, including congressional Republicans, fear his retribution.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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And the All-Star game embarrassed everyone who has ever picked up a basketball.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2025
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Callers are encouraged to share details that range from embarrassing to criminal.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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