as in to discredit
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the reigning tennis champ was humiliated on the court by a newcomer who defeated him in straight sets
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Recent Examples of humiliate
Incompetent leadership humiliates us on the global stage.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Prosecutors allege Landon was deprived of nutrition, forced to drink from a toilet, forced to forage for food in the kitchen after bedtime, humiliated by his parents and isolated from other family members, neighbors and school, per TribLive and WTAE.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Trump has declared that the US will withdraw 5,000 – and probably many more – troops stationed in Germany, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the US handling of the Iran conflict, saying Tehran had humiliated Washington.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
The 2019 screen fiasco, which found countless ways to humiliate a cast that included Taylor Swift and Judi Dench, gave kitsch a bad name.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for humiliate
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Prosecutors allege Landon was deprived of nutrition, forced to drink from a toilet, forced to forage for food in the kitchen after bedtime, humiliated by his parents and isolated from other family members, neighbors and school, per TribLive and WTAE.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Trump has declared that the US will withdraw 5,000 – and probably many more – troops stationed in Germany, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the US handling of the Iran conflict, saying Tehran had humiliated Washington.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
The 2019 screen fiasco, which found countless ways to humiliate a cast that included Taylor Swift and Judi Dench, gave kitsch a bad name.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for humiliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humiliate
Verb
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Do these circumstances discredit the Braves’ wins?—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
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What was unusual was the weaponization of the lack of forensic evidence to discredit the allegations.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
Verb
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You’re locked in a cage with another human, that wants to beat the s*** out of you, embarrass you in front of millions of people.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
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The Sixers were embarrassed by the Knicks 144-114 in Game 4 in front of a New York-heavy crowd in South Philadelphia.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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While those also degrade over time, there are a few structures, like bone and teeth, that are very robust and protect proteins from the environment.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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For people with diabetes, heat degrades temperature‑sensitive medications and makes blood sugar harder to control.—
Anthony Nicome,
STAT,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Humiliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humiliate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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