as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of bastardize
But, like all good things, it has been bastardized to the point of not being worth your time.
—
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Our ideals have been bastardized.
—William Mersey, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Short’s personality and complexity, attributes long discarded as her life became bastardized, stand in stark contrast to the inhumanity of her death.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
In both, to bastardize a saying, the play’s the thing.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 30 Nov. 2025
The events meant to bring us together, like the Super Bowl or March Madness, have been bastardized into vehicles for ruinous addiction.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Additionally, adding the musical element further bastardizes this tale.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
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
Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026
Our ideals have been bastardized.
—William Mersey, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Short’s personality and complexity, attributes long discarded as her life became bastardized, stand in stark contrast to the inhumanity of her death.
—Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
In both, to bastardize a saying, the play’s the thing.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 30 Nov. 2025
The events meant to bring us together, like the Super Bowl or March Madness, have been bastardized into vehicles for ruinous addiction.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Additionally, adding the musical element further bastardizes this tale.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardize
Verb
-
The country’s ministry of culture and sports set out a series of rules and regulations which included no pyro, no face paint and no shouting of words that could be degrading towards any person on the field, not even the referee.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
The bones also were coated with a light layer of minerals from the surrounding seawater, which may have prevented them from degrading.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Vanessa Rossetto has built her entire artistic practice out of subverting listeners’ expectations.—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
-
Seen through the lens of the Civil War and its aftermath, the piece subverts every expectation.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Americans are angry that their kids are being indoctrinated into a left-wing ideology intended to infiltrate their hearts and corrupt their moral center.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
Others have argued against the premise of the rules altogether, disputing the assertion that the City Council is being, or could be, corrupted by outside money.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
This dedication to both promoting Tucson’s charm and attractions while insisting that the city’s culture not get diluted by growing populations of newcomers relocating there from across the country is in their DNA.—
Von Diaz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Rinse your mouth with tap water after drinking, and reduce the amount of lemon in your drink or dilute it with water.—
Kathi Valeii Published,
Verywell Health,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
-
Even prestigious law firms are being humiliated, with some perpetrators getting slapped with fines and facing discipline from the Bar.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
Most of us would deny that any socially useful work can be or should be debasing.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The screenplay grows more complex and rewarding as the central relationship weakens, effectively forcing Sonya to deal with her exhausting boyfriend (Levon Hawke) and pushing Coley to connect with her father who, for whatever reason, spends a lot of time hand-making turquoise jewelry.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
-
This, of course, is problematic for the homegrown haters because the opposing opinion from neutral outsiders weakens their argument and should strengthen our resolve.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Madeira is intentionally exposed to heat and oxygen during aging, something that would destroy most wines.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.—
Nick Perry,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bastardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardize. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
