as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
a movie version that castrates the hard-hitting novel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of castrate
There was a serial castrator on the Upper West Side who would take kids, lead ’m into Central Park, castrate them, and then murder them.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
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
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
David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
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
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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The question is whether this bill does so or instead sweeps innocent families into an overbroad administrative system that does little to improve child safety while undermining constitutional protections for parents.—
James R Mason,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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John blamed Steve for the Mac Division’s poor sales and lambasted him for undermining his authority.—
Geoffrey Cain,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The deeper the rifts between the United States and Europe over Iran, the greater the chances of weakening the NATO alliance.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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During his appearances on Capitol Hill this month, Secretary Kennendy was grilled about the administration's defense of the pesticide industry and weakening of protections against mercury pollution, another issue that Kennedy had worked on as an advocate.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Weighing in at 710 tons, the sculpture was built to circulate 30,000 gallons of water but has been drained since 2024 in order to have its inner workings assessed.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 May 2026
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Her own growth hasn’t just been paused by the demands of caring for a sick child, it’s been drained by the constant mental load that comes with it.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Video of the shooting was captured on the home’s surveillance cameras and the body cameras worn by police, all of which was reviewed by Prescott’s office.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Queen Camilla returned to her one of her go-to suede-and-leather cap-toe pumps, while Jessica Oyelowo wore black patent mary janes with floral and crystal detail.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The starting quarterback competition is coming down to returning players Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, as Jalon Daniels has exhausted his eligibility and Rice transfer Chase Jenkins recovers from an injury.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
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Diplomacy, economic pressure, and international cooperation should always be exhausted first.—
Linh Tat,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
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In group chats and meetings, Republicans are privately petrified the Iran war could cost them the midterms.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Castrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castrate. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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