as in corrupting
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward
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Recent Examples of subverting
These movies are about shocking and surprising the audience by setting up an expectation and then subverting that expectation.
—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Director Wes Craven executes a masterclass in tension, shock, and subverting expectations.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Vanessa Rossetto has built her entire artistic practice out of subverting listeners’ expectations.
—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
The Gucci outfits created by then-creative director Alessandro Michele that Lauro sported on stage for his 2020 participation at the Sanremo Music Festival sparked days of online conversation for subverting rigid gender norms and reimagining sacred Italian iconography.
—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
In the Placer County foothills, one winery is subverting expectations and offering wine tasting experiences at a staggeringly low cost.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Buddy embraces the aesthetic of classic children’s television —complete with catchy songs and familiar tropes — before subverting it with a relentless descent into madness.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Director Wes Craven executes a masterclass in tension, shock, and subverting expectations.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Vanessa Rossetto has built her entire artistic practice out of subverting listeners’ expectations.
—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.
—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
The Gucci outfits created by then-creative director Alessandro Michele that Lauro sported on stage for his 2020 participation at the Sanremo Music Festival sparked days of online conversation for subverting rigid gender norms and reimagining sacred Italian iconography.
—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
The inaugural season was about subverting expectations.
—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
In the Placer County foothills, one winery is subverting expectations and offering wine tasting experiences at a staggeringly low cost.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Buddy embraces the aesthetic of classic children’s television —complete with catchy songs and familiar tropes — before subverting it with a relentless descent into madness.
—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverting
Verb
-
Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.
-
An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.
Verb
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But explosions at nuclear, missile and drone facilities and assassinations of scientists outside the direct conflicts of June 2025 and from February 2026 clearly map to the goal of degrading Iranian military capabilities in between wars.
-
Grade 5 titanium is notoriously difficult to work with, its hardness rapidly degrading cutting tools and leaving little margin for error.
Verb
-
Goldman Sachs predicts a sustained dollar weakening in 2026, driven by fiscal concerns and shifting global asset demand, marking a structural shift rather than a cyclical dip.
-
Ukrainian officials describe the strikes as a campaign to pressure Moscow to end the war by undermining its military logistics and supply lines and weakening its ability to mount assaults along the front.
Verb
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The trial collapsed after the journalist was found to have tampered with evidence (he was later convicted of perverting the course of justice).
-
He was also found guilty of perverting the court of justice.
Verb
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Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
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But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
Verb
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Han credits the international team with sharpening his instincts rather than diluting them.
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When that foundation is in place, brands can respond market by market without fragmenting the organization or diluting the brand experience.
Verb
-
In 1922, Kenmore House was deteriorating, and the Kenmore Association and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) needed $30,000 for its repairs and restoration.
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And his political standing is now suddenly deteriorating to the point where Congress is maybe losing some of its fear, and there may be a different Congress after November.
Verb
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The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
Cite this Entry
“Subverting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverting. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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