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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
Either the agencies run on six-month-old public data and credit assessments degrade; or fresh fundamentals migrate into a private channel that bondholders, insurers, and the rest of the market cannot see.
—
Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Furthermore, clinical skills are degrading at garrison hospitals.
—Robert Krasner, STAT, 1 June 2026
Translucent plastics used in a humid, high‑UV tropical setting tend to degrade faster, causing fading, loss of transparency, and expansion with heat in ways that could undermine both light quality and visual appeal.
—Bridget Borgobello
may 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026
All of these things can degrade your car’s clear coat over time and may eventually lead to rust.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Furthermore, clinical skills are degrading at garrison hospitals.
—Robert Krasner, STAT, 1 June 2026
Translucent plastics used in a humid, high‑UV tropical setting tend to degrade faster, causing fading, loss of transparency, and expansion with heat in ways that could undermine both light quality and visual appeal.
—Bridget Borgobello
may 31, New Atlas, 31 May 2026
All of these things can degrade your car’s clear coat over time and may eventually lead to rust.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
-
Spirulina helps eliminate heavy metal build-up in the body, for instance; ginger and cumin reduce bloating; lecithin and gingko can improve memory.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Statistically, the drug reduced the risk of death by 60% compared with chemotherapy.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Verb
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As her health deteriorated, Amy's disciples were led to believe her death would herald a celestial exit, Heaven's Gate-style (via UFO), paving the way for society's salvation.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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Even better, people taking the drug had about five more months before their quality of life deteriorated compared to those on chemotherapy.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Linda Hyde, a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards member since 2014, boarded her Southwest flight on May 21 at Miami International Airport humiliated and angry.—
Ella Moore
Updated May 29,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
-
Strength is not the capacity to humiliate someone with less power.—
Marc Brackett,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Back in 2018, Molitor said demoting Sanó was one of the most difficult decisions of his career.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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As this happened, thousands of Black teachers and principals were dismissed or demoted.—
David Blazar,
The Conversation,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The Reserve Bank of Australia will likely focus on the strength of private demand before factoring in the conflict, alongside inflation risks stemming from weak productivity and rising unit labor costs, according to Stenner, who expects household consumption to weaken in the second quarter.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
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Critics counter that scarcity alone does not guarantee value if investor demand weakens.—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Verb
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After the war, his goalscoring statistics were deleted and his achievements were discredited, with the Polish press labelling him as mentally unstable and an alcoholic.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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Hit men are dispatched, homicide takes hold, and a smear campaign is hatched to discredit Zaminsky as faking signals to keep his SETI gig.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In a blistering dissent, the court’s Democratic justices said the ruling opened the door to allowing Louisiana lawmakers to subvert the will of voters.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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His work was often political, with his cartoonish art prints and couture creations subverting racist iconography from American history.—
Bianca Betancourt,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Some fans weighed in on his outfit choice on social media, sparking conversations about if the actor might have embarrassed his wife.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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