as in degraded
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
corrupt businessmen who are out to fleece the public corrupt business practices that should be investigated
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
a dead mouse corrupting in the walls produced a terrible smell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
some observers believe that grossly violent movies corrupt the people who watch them as well as the people who make them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
he bragged about having corrupted half of the officials on the city council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of corrupt
Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Then there was the Vietnam War in the 1960s, fought to save a corrupt South Vietnam government from an invasion by a Communist North Vietnam.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Adjective
This corrupt system is not what people on the Edmund Pettus Bridge envisioned.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Then there was the Vietnam War in the 1960s, fought to save a corrupt South Vietnam government from an invasion by a Communist North Vietnam.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
But, if the release of the Epstein files has accomplished anything, it’s been to demonstrate how, on both sides of the Atlantic, systems corrupted by money are ripe for reform.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
-
About 200 had been recorded by experts over the following centuries, but the remaining messages were too degraded to read — until RTI brought them into focus.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Looking ahead, the Few & Far team is working to restore more than 200,000 acres of land in the area, replant degraded forests, and safeguard endangered wildlife.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Be sure to keep the mulch at least two inches away from the stems or stalks of vegetable plants to help prevent rot from too much moisture.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
-
When Corms Don't Sprout If your corms haven’t sprouted after two weeks, there could be several reasons for this, such as rotting due to overwatering, insufficient warmth and humidity, or the corms being too dry.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been degraded during the American and Israeli war against it, but remains far from neutralized.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Conventional relay-lens setups often degrade beam quality or require precise positioning.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Husted was Ohio's lieutenant governor-elect in early 2019, when prosecutors claim Jones and Dowling bribed the late Randazzo in exchange for legislative and regulatory favors.—
JULIE CARR SMYTH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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Smartmatic's parent company was charged in a Florida federal court in October with conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing a Philippine government official to get business, and with conspiring to launder money.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As the harried solo parent of a sick child, Byrne lets the camera zoom in so close to her character’s insecurities that the audience breaks out in a cold sweat.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Threats to the environment and wildlife are still ever-present — a new highly pathogenic avian influenza has just hit the state, McGuire said, making birds and now elephant seals in Northern California sick.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chunks of decaying organic matter, and the spaces made by the creatures that feed on it, make the soil lighter and more porous.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Rusting agricultural equipment and decaying barns gave the sci-fi story an eerie texture that’s strangely suited to a movie theater in a trailer.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 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
Adjective
-
Stand back and check for any shingles that look lifted, crooked, or curled.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Your mailbox is a small feature that can signal neglect if it’s dated, deteriorating, or crooked.—
Jane Kim,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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