castrate

verb

ˈka-ˌstrāt How to pronounce castrate (audio)
Definition of castratenext
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality a movie version that castrates the hard-hitting novel

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 castrate If the very successful 25-year-old Coward had been caught with a man, he could have been jailed or chemically castrated. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026 Justin Bieber has had multiple stalkers, including a New Mexico man and his nephew who plotted to murder and castrate the pop singer in 2013. — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 15 Mar. 2026 After his conviction, Turing was chemically castrated. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026 By way of example, Morris points to a scene in Wiseman's 1993 documentary Zoo, in which an all-women surgical team at Miami zoo castrates a wolf. — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for castrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castrate
  1. undermine
  2. weaken
  3. drain
  4. wear
  5. exhaust
  6. petrify
Verb
  • But the party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • Future plots to imprison a critic of the MAGA movement might not be undermined by a loudmouth president who can’t help but give away the scheme.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of undermine
Verb
  • Analysts are less optimistic that the latest intervention could fundamentally alter the broader course of the yen’s weakening.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • If the partner feels disconnected from the hotel brand, the benefit may add utility while weakening the program’s positioning.
    — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • Freezing dormant coins, supporters argue, beats letting a future quantum thief drain them and dump them on the market.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Position the Pit Fill a small pot with well-draining potting soil.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of drain
Verb
  • Heavy rainfall continued to impact Lollapalooza on Saturday, as doors were delayed opening until 2pm, and guests were advised to wear waterproof shoes as Grant Park would be muddy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Satin and silk iterations, worn by stars like Anne Hathaway, are sophisticated while still maintaining the functionality of the trend.
    — Tessa Petak, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of wear
Verb
  • If the United States decided to send ground forces into Iran on the scale necessary to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, defending those forces could exhaust the remaining stocks of advanced air-defense systems.
    — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Both player exhausted their eligibility as seniors last season and went undrafted, but with the new ruling, could find their way back to Orlando.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of exhaust
Verb
  • The first film follows a group of French high-school students who travel to Naples on a school trip to discover the ruins of Pompeii and the bodies petrified by Vesuvius.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 May 2026
  • Johansson plays her with a tough edge to match her Queens accent, but Hester is clearly petrified by this perfect storm of ugly events.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Definition of petrify

Browse Nearby Words

cast out
castrate
castrated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Castrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castrate. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on castrate

Nglish: Translation of castrate for Spanish Speakers

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