1
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
was unwilling to abase himself by pleading guilty to a crime that he did not commit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliating
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abasing
Verb
-
Painting can be a dramatic transformation, but the changes are often irreversible without incurring high costs or degrading property.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Apr. 2026 -
The situation has caused a pile-on of speculation and allegations—including from some of its competitors—that the company is purposely degrading performance owing to a lack of compute capacity.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
State caseworkers have sent an untold number of elders in their care to a coterie of homes with a history of hurting, ignoring or humiliating their residents, records and anguished families say.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
These clips often use humor and pop‑culture aesthetics—even LEGO‑style animations—to show Iran’s late supreme leader outsmarting and humiliating his American adversaries.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
No one wants to be a jester, debasing oneself for a more powerful person’s amusement.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Since the summer of 2025, antiforeigner sentiment—fueled by false or exaggerated claims about migrant workers committing crimes, foreign residents draining welfare coffers, or international tourists debasing Japanese culture—has taken hold in Japanese politics.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
My fear is that poor implementation and, above all, a failure to take accountability seriously will end up discrediting good ideas.—
Rachel Canter,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In April 2024, Hayden agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty for violating conflict of interest law by allowing his office to issue an official press statement aimed at discrediting his primary opponent, Arroyo, days before the election.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But artists are often great at subverting expectations, and the Renaissance Society, a beloved arts venue at the University of Chicago known for its brainy exhibitions, has for several years now invited artists to direct its annual benefit, known around town as the RenBen.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This implied the Blackness of God, subverting cultural representations of the deity as white and possibly European.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff Office investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is facing troubles of its own, as a former sheriff has accused current leadership of ‘corrupting’ the crime scene, and a deputy has been arrested and fired on a kidnapping charge.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The impact of those exits could turn out to be the most lasting, potentially weakening the Justice Department for many years to come, several former longterm DOJ lawyers who worked across areas told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Moisture can lead to weakening the tree or shrub's protective layer and create an environment for fungal growth, rot, or disease, says Putnam.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Abasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abasing. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
