as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
a movie version that castrates the hard-hitting novel
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Recent Examples of castrate
Before long a steer, or castrated bull, named Sue gingerly wanders into the Darwin home.
—
CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Set in the Italian opera world of the 1700s, Rice’s novel tells the not-for-the-squeamish story of two male soprano singers who were castrated as boys in order to maintain their high voices.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025
The book follows two men pursuing opera in 18th-century Italy — one, named Guido, is castrated to preserve his soprano singing voice, and the other, Tonio, is castrated by his brother Carlo in an attempt to control their family line.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
Donkey has now been castrated, and the adorable family trio lives together in a large field with Partridge's other horses.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castrate
CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Set in the Italian opera world of the 1700s, Rice’s novel tells the not-for-the-squeamish story of two male soprano singers who were castrated as boys in order to maintain their high voices.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 12 Nov. 2025
The book follows two men pursuing opera in 18th-century Italy — one, named Guido, is castrated to preserve his soprano singing voice, and the other, Tonio, is castrated by his brother Carlo in an attempt to control their family line.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2025
Donkey has now been castrated, and the adorable family trio lives together in a large field with Partridge's other horses.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for castrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castrate
Verb
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Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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However, those efforts could be undermined by a recent increase in 2-year yields that threatens to compress excess spreads, according to Bank of America.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hungary is a major importer of Russian energy and the sanctions would have impacted the country's already weakening economy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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But instead, the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization — which is an order for action — and limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Avoid heavy and poorly draining soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
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But the ongoing crisis is a shock to the current account, as oil and product inflows have drained, said Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.—
Anniek Bao,Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The temperature at first pitch was 37 degrees and continued to drop, with players wearing full sleeves and many wearing head coverings.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Players schlep downstairs, wearing slippers or sandals, and walk through the game plan and what to expect from their opponents.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Floyd also reasoned that the case shouldn’t be regarded as moot, even though the players have exhausted their NCAA eligibility.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Horned Frogs must also replace key players who exhausted their eligibility in Big 12 Player of the Year Olivia Miles, Taylor Bigby, 6-7 center Kennedy Basham and Suarez.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The filmmaker leans pop-comic rather than petrifying in his final draft, opting for earnestness that smothers atmospheric dread.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
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The former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Castrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castrate. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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