1
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
Meanwhile, the attorney for the young plaintiffs argued that the state’s contributions were equivalent to that of entire countries like the Netherlands, Pakistan, or Argentina, and was actively degrading Montana’s environment.
—
ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Security leaders must also be mindful not to replicate past mistakes—overcomplicating architectures or degrading the user experience in the name of protection.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The population has decreased over the years, as their habitats have degraded and people like Rockalina's family members took them in as pets.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Biden degraded our military by firing about 8,000 military personnel and cutting off pay and benefits for about 60,000 National Guard and reserve soldiers for not getting vaccinated.
—Carl Burdette, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025
Security leaders must also be mindful not to replicate past mistakes—overcomplicating architectures or degrading the user experience in the name of protection.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The population has decreased over the years, as their habitats have degraded and people like Rockalina's family members took them in as pets.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Biden degraded our military by firing about 8,000 military personnel and cutting off pay and benefits for about 60,000 National Guard and reserve soldiers for not getting vaccinated.
—Carl Burdette, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.—
Liz Weston,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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Now, Epic is going even further by reducing those fees to zero for a game's first $1 million in annual sales.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2025
Verb
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That volume is masking deteriorating demand from key sectors - particularly domestic manufacturing, which drives more than 60% of big rig ton miles, and ocean imports.—
Lisa Baertlein,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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The setting of the urban scenes was crafted by dressing up these Welsh locations to mimic a deteriorating American metropolis, Screen Rant reported.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 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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Politicized Prosecutions: Martin has reshaped the office to reflect Trump’s priorities, firing or demoting prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and targeting Trump’s critics with legal threats.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2025
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Jose Miranda summons his inner ‘Hamilton’ After getting demoted to the minors, Lin-Manuel Miranda's cousin became an early leader in our annual Injury of the Year competition.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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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Elon Musk also shared one portraying Harris discrediting her own credentials.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
28 Apr. 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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The goal isn’t to embarrass or dominate the other person.—
John Bowe,
CNBC,
1 May 2025
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This is not Carey's first time embarrassing her children.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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