as in degrades
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste
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Recent Examples of bastardizes
Additionally, adding the musical element further bastardizes this tale.
—
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardizes
Verb
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Most retinol products are restricted to nighttime use because the ingredient degrades in sunlight, so this flexibility is a genuine differentiator.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Phase 1 degrades military power and holds hostage the regime’s economic lifelines.—
Richard Goldberg,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His relationship with his Jewish neighbors, the Brodskys, grows closer as Nazi power corrupts France.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
As Jay Jonah Atterbury, one of a handful of new characters on the fourth season of Industry, Kal Penn weaponizes and corrupts the stoner quirks viewers may recognize from his years playing Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar films.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With Manhunt, Felker-Martin subverts this convention, creating a post-contagion world in which trans women (and men and nonbinary people) not only exist but tell the story themselves across multiple viewpoint characters.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
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The seven-part limited series, which aired its second episode Sunday, subverts expectations at every turn, from its peculiar characters to the layered storytelling of writer-showrunner-director Steven Conrad to the nuanced performances of an enviable cast.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the state’s view, that weakens or muddies the legal boundary between the two types of gambling venues.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Justice delayed weakens deterrence.—
Romy Ellenbogen,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The extreme heat kills the plant tissue immediately and typically destroys the roots of many weed species.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But as the Universe keeps on expanding, the spatial curvature still dilutes, the same way that a small Pringles chip has a greater amount of curvature than a large horse’s saddle.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
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No measurable impact on marine life or the local environment was detected, as the radioactive material dilutes rapidly in seawater.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a new Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the composer behind the HBO show’s memorable soundtrack described an industry that debases its own art and the people who make it for the sake of consumerism.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
17 Mar. 2026
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Freddy Krueger debases the suburban American ideal through the dreams of teenagers in Nightmare on Elm Street.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Later that season, Eric humiliates Bill in front of their Pierpoint colleagues by insulting his work quality and Bill dies from brain cancer.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Thecla humiliates him by ripping his robe and tearing the wreath off his head.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bastardizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardizes. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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