bastardize

verb

ˈba-stər-ˌdīz How to pronounce bastardize (audio)
Definition of bastardizenext
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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 See All Example Sentences for bastardize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardize
  1. degrade
  2. subvert
  3. corrupt
  4. dilute
  5. humiliate
  6. debase
  7. weaken
  8. destroy
Verb
  • Liquid nitrogen storage pauses cellular activity, so the egg should not degrade over time.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Anyone determined to disguise AI output has plenty of ways to degrade or erase a statistical text watermark.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Laws and elections can quickly shift the balance of power in the game, and the rules can be subverted or twisted to your advantage through the deft deployment of crushing bureaucracy.
    — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • That's because when the stakes are high, and the actors begin to cry, the serious tone begs to be subverted by a humorous caption.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of subvert
Verb
  • Thomas Mann—who later changed his mind on such matters—believed that Germany in the First World War was fighting for its unique national soul against a shallow materialist Western civilization corrupted by rationalism.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That said, real Strange may be corrupted by the Darkhold and Wanda could still be on her villain arc.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • Once diluted, apply a small amount of the solution directly to the area that needs relief.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • However, this approach is not foolproof; editing, mixing with human text, or reprocessing by other AIs can dilute or remove the watermark.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilute
Verb
  • After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Each action can increase the pressure on the person being humiliated.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • After seeing corrupt cops rewarded with medals and politics debase his best friend, now the courts can’t even be trusted to perform their solemn duty.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Look at how much the city had debased this pilgrim in six months, a year.
    — David Hajdu, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of debase
Verb
  • That makes the world a more dangerous place, where a mistake by just one actor could ignite a regional firestorm, with a US military weakened by Iran unable to ensure American security.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm Sunday after skirting Hawaii without making landfall, but it wasn’t done punishing the Big Island with hurricane-force gusts.
    — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroy

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bastardize
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Cite this Entry

“Bastardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardize. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of bastardize for Spanish Speakers

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