as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste
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Recent Examples of bastardize
Over the years, though, the cocktail has become bastardized into a sugary drink containing all sorts of fruit juices and sweeteners, causing it to be denegrated alongside the likes of Long Island Ice Teas and Strawberry Daiquiris.
—
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023
These white people in blackface entertained the masses with stereotypes of Blackness, bastardizing the Black identity in the process.
—Tayo Bero, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023
Society, this week, also bastardized two wholesome childhood fixtures, SunnyD and Girl Scout Cookies.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 10 Mar. 2023
What does a profession license mean if you’re allowed to bastardize the court system that way.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2020
Videos that bastardize neighborhood names, or cluelessly treat storied establishments like new discoveries.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2022
To bastardize the bands Pablo Cruise or Yes, love will always find a way.
—Outside Online, 13 Feb. 2021
As a carcass decomposes, the bacteria in the body itself runs rampant, producing its signature stink and bastardizing the soil’s microbiome.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 21 Jan. 2020
The initial fear that the band was going to make a killing on wading-pool-deep music and basically bastardize country music was way off-base.
—Chuck Yarborough, cleveland, 8 Jan. 2020
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023
These white people in blackface entertained the masses with stereotypes of Blackness, bastardizing the Black identity in the process.
—Tayo Bero, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023
Society, this week, also bastardized two wholesome childhood fixtures, SunnyD and Girl Scout Cookies.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 10 Mar. 2023
What does a profession license mean if you’re allowed to bastardize the court system that way.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2020
Videos that bastardize neighborhood names, or cluelessly treat storied establishments like new discoveries.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2022
To bastardize the bands Pablo Cruise or Yes, love will always find a way.
—Outside Online, 13 Feb. 2021
As a carcass decomposes, the bacteria in the body itself runs rampant, producing its signature stink and bastardizing the soil’s microbiome.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 21 Jan. 2020
The initial fear that the band was going to make a killing on wading-pool-deep music and basically bastardize country music was way off-base.
—Chuck Yarborough, cleveland, 8 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardize
Verb
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For starters, the quality of natural water is degrading—creating more favorable conditions for Legionella, which loves acidic water and low oxygen levels, to multiply—as the planet warms.—
Dylan Scott,
Wired News,
23 Aug. 2025
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Organizations celebrate productivity metrics while quality quietly degrades.—
Tarun Galagali,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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My favorite thing about playing her is subverting that expectation over the course of her journey in the show, as sort of my emotional catharsis.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
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China has been able to subvert existing channels to obtain restricted chips anyway.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The major concern is if your back-ups are corrupted.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
1 Aug. 2025
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Which is yet another reason for politicians to cease trying to corrupt the brilliance of freely arrived at price signals.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
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To the transcendental artist these conventional interpretations of reality are emotional and rational constructs devised by man to dilute or explain away the transcendental.—
Roy Scranton
August 20,
Literary Hub,
20 Aug. 2025
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As brands attempt to expand campaigns across multiple publishers, consistency becomes harder to maintain, and operational inefficiencies start to dilute performance.—
Harshit Jain,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Plato fled Syracuse, humiliated by the tyrants’ taunts.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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Critics, including Lithuania's former foreign minister, warned the episode reflects Moscow's intent to provoke and humiliate its adversaries on the global stage.—
Hannah Parry
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Among many methods deployed, the most common was to debase the circulating coins and inflate the money supply.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
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Read More: The Battle for Our Memory Is the Battle for Our Country But debasing our history through censorship and ideological cherry-picking insults the memory of the nine saints who were murdered at Mother Emanuel, desecrating its sacred space all over again.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
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This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
13 Aug. 2025
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But Goolsbee said Trump’s immigration crackdown likely has affected population growth and the jobs numbers, but that doesn’t mean the labor market has substantially weakened.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Large dangerous waves will likely inundate and destroy protective dune structures.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Aug. 2025
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Protective sand dunes could be inundated and destroyed, which could lead to severe flooding inland, National Park Service officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore warned Monday.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bastardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardize. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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