1
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
was unwilling to abase himself by pleading guilty to a crime that he did not commit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
I certainly don't abase myself when I do good, honest manual labor
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of abase
Turturro was attracted to the novel’s house style: Its manic, sarcastic, abasing observations, largely written in the third person but never far from Sabbath’s perspective, seemed made for the theater.
—
Marc Tracy,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2023
Pence has long since perfected the ability to abase himself in public without seeming the least bit ashamed.
—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2023
Unfortunately, an impulse to abase oneself isn’t resolved by a recognition that human life is a collaboration.
—
Caleb Crain,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2021
One by one, internees abase themselves before 60 of their fellow prisoners, repenting of their errors in thinking and their nonprogressive religious practices.
—
James E. Person Jr.,
National Review,
17 Sep. 2020
Marc Tracy,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2023
Pence has long since perfected the ability to abase himself in public without seeming the least bit ashamed.
—
Susan B. Glasser,
The New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2023
Unfortunately, an impulse to abase oneself isn’t resolved by a recognition that human life is a collaboration.
—
Caleb Crain,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2021
One by one, internees abase themselves before 60 of their fellow prisoners, repenting of their errors in thinking and their nonprogressive religious practices.
—
James E. Person Jr.,
National Review,
17 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abase
Verb
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This involves sealing all cracks, crevices and entry points with materials that won't degrade over time.
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Batteries degrade, actuators wear out, sensors drift, and every safety case has to hold.
Verb
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Only the United States was humiliated; both countries have experienced a catastrophic loss.
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However, they were then humiliated 2-1, after extra time, by second division side Torreense in the final.
Verb
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In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly.
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Most of us would deny that any socially useful work can be or should be debasing.
Verb
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Instead, they are encouraged to view blue zones primarily through the lens of a sloppy critique that has already been discredited.
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This doesn’t discredit the fact that mental and physical changes from menopause can be disorienting and jarring.
Verb
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Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.
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All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.
Verb
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The summer blockbuster, which premieres June 26, will follow Supergirl's three-day mission to obtain a cure for her superdog and friend, Krypto, who is poisoned by villainous alien Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).
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Last year, harmful algae blooming off Southern California poisoned hundreds of dolphins and sea lions off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, causing strandings along popular beaches.
Verb
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Racists dismissed them as lesser beings, demeaned them and made life hard for all people of color — whites-only facilities and hard jobs.
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Inspectors documented staff using demeaning language, displaying extremist imagery, and engaging in conduct that violated the Bureau’s own standards.
Verb
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Americans are angry that their kids are being indoctrinated into a left-wing ideology intended to infiltrate their hearts and corrupt their moral center.
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.
Cite this Entry
“Abase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abase. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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