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
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
The opera premiered in Rome at a time when castrati, or castrated male singers, took on treble roles; a papal decree forbade women from performing onstage.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for castrate
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
The opera premiered in Rome at a time when castrati, or castrated male singers, took on treble roles; a papal decree forbade women from performing onstage.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for castrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castrate
Verb
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The remarks, delivered to Standard Bank executives and reported for the first time by Semafor, captured the growing unease among policymakers about how quickly the external shocks can undermine domestic planning, especially for an open, import-dependent economy like South Africa.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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Aleph and other Jewish chaplaincy groups say the chaplaincy system is being undermined by the Messianic movement, whose adherents may identify as Jews but are not recognized as such by any denomination of Judaism.—
Asaf Elia-Shalev,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Under this model, airlines, hotels, and other end-service providers may benefit, while intermediaries such as ticket booking platforms and price comparison websites may see their roles weakened.—
,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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This weakens the plant and can cause dieback.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Use your hands to agitate the greens (this will dislodge any stubborn bits of grit or dirt), then drain and spin dry.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Improper Amount of Water Dogwoods prefer well-draining soil, and excessive watering can affect the number of flowers (and leaves) on the tree.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
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Liu’s jacket—worn open over a white crewneck tee—featured a breast pocket bearing the house’s telltale LV monogram.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If you’re exhausted by life, you’re allowed to cancel plans — even fun ones — to restore your energy.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Although current statistics indicate reserves will be exhausted in 2032, there are still possible interventions to change that.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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