as in degrades
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 subverts
Seen through the lens of the Civil War and its aftermath, the piece subverts every expectation.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Although the Western genre is an ever-present influence, Grisebach subverts some of its tropes.
—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
22 May 2026
The play subverts itself, never allowing an audience to gain a commanding foothill, even at the end when (suffice it to say) the watchers become the watched.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
With Manhunt, Felker-Martin subverts this convention, creating a post-contagion world in which trans women (and men and nonbinary people) not only exist but tell the story themselves across multiple viewpoint characters.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm.
—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
Gourault often subverts the extractivist logic of new media technologies and employs open-source investigation in the production of his films.
—
Farren Fei Yuan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
The textured outer elevates even the most basic outfits, while the oxblood hue subtly subverts expectations.
—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
The razor-sharp slasher, which leans into and subverts genre tropes, also stars Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan, Courtney Cox, Jamie Kennedy and David Arquette, among others.
—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
2 Nov. 2025
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Although the Western genre is an ever-present influence, Grisebach subverts some of its tropes.
—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
22 May 2026
The play subverts itself, never allowing an audience to gain a commanding foothill, even at the end when (suffice it to say) the watchers become the watched.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
With Manhunt, Felker-Martin subverts this convention, creating a post-contagion world in which trans women (and men and nonbinary people) not only exist but tell the story themselves across multiple viewpoint characters.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm.
—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
20 Feb. 2026
Gourault often subverts the extractivist logic of new media technologies and employs open-source investigation in the production of his films.
—
Farren Fei Yuan,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
The textured outer elevates even the most basic outfits, while the oxblood hue subtly subverts expectations.
—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
The razor-sharp slasher, which leans into and subverts genre tropes, also stars Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Rose McGowan, Courtney Cox, Jamie Kennedy and David Arquette, among others.
—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverts
Verb
-
Those with respiratory problems and sensitive groups could experience issues as our air quality degrades a bit with the dust lingering overhead.
-
Trump, on the other hand, belittles and degrades people every day.
Verb
-
When the dollar weakens, commodity prices expressed in dollars tend to rise to maintain purchasing power parity for buyers operating in other currencies.
-
But the corresponding upheaval is still catastrophic for any surrounding planets, which either get swallowed up by the expanding star, or drift into wider orbits as the star’s gravity weakens—some are flung out from the system entirely.
Verb
-
Forgetting his bond with the land, Mariano awakens the Ch’iqmi, a dark force that corrupts his people.
-
One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.
Verb
-
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 – gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
-
Arrrives, destroys Femi and hands Main Event Jey the crown.
Verb
-
Diomande just humiliates fullbacks.
-
Incompetent leadership humiliates us on the global stage.
Verb
-
Alphabet went the other way and issued stock, which dilutes existing shareholders but adds no fixed interest bill to meet whether or not the AI bet pays off.
-
Among other changes, the new law dilutes some of the influence the mayor of Chicago has over the executive appointment process at the CTA, which has been led for more than a year by an acting president, Nora Leerhsen.
Verb
-
The delivery was a glimmer of good news in a living situation that deteriorates by the day.
-
Breaking them down to save for a later date isn’t enough, as bugs will still nestle their way in even as the cardboard deteriorates.
Verb
-
Most frustratingly, the secret traitor demeans us, the audience.
-
That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.
Cite this Entry
“Subverts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverts. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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