1
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
our failure to win a single game completely debased us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
His illuminating backstage account of cable news describes thoughtful journalists debasing themselves in their scramble to retain straying viewers.
—
Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Only by allowing himself to be debased can this man actually come to understand God.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
The sense of disharmony is immediate: a familiar scene of youth and learning is grimly debased into one of peril.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
By that time – perhaps only a decade from now, perhaps longer – the dollar may have been debased so badly that one bitcoin might be priced at $1 trillion or more.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for debase
Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Only by allowing himself to be debased can this man actually come to understand God.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
The sense of disharmony is immediate: a familiar scene of youth and learning is grimly debased into one of peril.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
By that time – perhaps only a decade from now, perhaps longer – the dollar may have been debased so badly that one bitcoin might be priced at $1 trillion or more.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Placing the wrong items in the recycling bin can damage recycling equipment or degrade the recycling process.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 May 2025
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Trump stated that the Houthis requested the ceasefire after his administration had successfully degraded the group's capabilities.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Verb
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In a display of brute aggression, cartel operatives humiliated Mexican officials by forcing the government to release Mr. Guzmán López shortly after he was captured.—
Alan Feuer,
New York Times,
7 May 2025
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But in Trump’s White House, the goal may be simpler—and harder: not getting humiliated.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Employing nostalgic tropes as embodied by Orbison’s songs subverts those movies from their own cinematic tradition, thus marking a departure from standard film noir.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
3 May 2025
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His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Crucially, this emerging capability to emulate human thought–like behaviors does not confirm or discredit chatbot consciousness.—
Susan Schneider,
Scientific American,
1 May 2025
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Ministers accuse him of politically motivated investigations designed to discredit the government.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
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As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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What once was used to demean us became a subversive tool for resistance throughout the diaspora.—
Taryn Finley,
Refinery29,
1 May 2025
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Moreover, 15 percent of respondents said their manager was aggressive, while 12 percent replied that their boss was demeaning.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Although Harvard is an institution that has been corrupted by politics and would be well served to voluntarily adopt most of Trump’s demands on it, the university has a good shot at prevailing in a legal fight on the grounds that Trump failed to follow the necessary statutory process.—
The Editors,
National Review,
29 Apr. 2025
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And the disease was a politics that was corrupted by the most powerful in our society: billionaires and oligarchs and corporate CEOs.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The atmosphere, at once debauched and sombre, felt like a wake, one attendee said.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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But as commercialization took hold, the event metastasized into a pit of hard drugs, drunkenness, and debauch a world apart from its bohemian origins.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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