as in to humiliate
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
men who had been bestialized by war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestialize
Verb
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And unlike some some prank shows, its intentions are good, its attitude humane — the entire purpose of the show is to bring out the best in its unsuspecting star, not to humiliate him.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026 -
As 1994 approached, the United States was on the verge of hosting the World Cup — but national soccer officials were terrified that the home team was about to humiliate itself on a global stage.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now, having said that, the president can poison the well.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
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Any one of them can be poisoned.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sociologist Anthony Cortese found that in popular culture black women are often othered, animalized and exoticized, associating women of color with primitivity or wild sexuality.—
Katie Edwards,
Washington Post,
14 July 2017
Verb
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In a world that often feels fragmented and dehumanized, reclaiming this universality is an ethical act.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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Those included flattering depictions of world leaders as powerful men, or dehumanizing depictions of opposition leaders.—
Stuart A. Thompson,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At night, Yusuf goes back to his village, where his family is regularly brutalized by the local authorities, led by the snarling protomillenarian Captain Wingate (played by Robert Aramayo, whom some will recognize as the young actor who scored an upset win at the BAFTAs last month for I Swear).—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Yes, that same night, beyond the hallowed walls of Prescott’s, people all across New York were being brutalized by HIV, falling dead from AIDS.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Bestialize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestialize. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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