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
Under Budanov, the GUR expanded its operational footprint, coordinating intelligence, sabotage and special operations aimed at degrading Russian military capabilities far beyond the front lines.
—
Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Protective covers help prevent snow, rain, and sun from degrading finishes over time.
—Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
To counteract the skin effect and other signal-degrading issues, companies have developed copper cables with specialized electronics at either end.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2025
But that study measured the shoes after 280 miles, leaving it unclear how much the foam degrades in 50 or 100 miles.
—Jonathan Beverly, Outside, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Protective covers help prevent snow, rain, and sun from degrading finishes over time.
—Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2025
To counteract the skin effect and other signal-degrading issues, companies have developed copper cables with specialized electronics at either end.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2025
But that study measured the shoes after 280 miles, leaving it unclear how much the foam degrades in 50 or 100 miles.
—Jonathan Beverly, Outside, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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During his January 2025 State of the State address, Little called for tax cuts that could reduce the state’s general fund by about $100 million.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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To reduce sizes, builders are going back to open floor plans with fewer hallways.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The price of gold, long understood to be the investor’s refuge against a deteriorating dollar, is sounding an alarm.—
Bruce Yandle,
Twin Cities,
9 Jan. 2026
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When those conditions are absent, performance deteriorates quickly.—
Katerin Le Folcalvez,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And videotaping it to humiliate them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2025
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She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Hegseth this week backed off that losing proposition and instead issued a censure for Kelly and started a process to demote him in retirement, which would reduce his pension.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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The senator and Navy veteran isn’t likely to be cowed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s lawless attempt to silence him by seeking to demote him post-retirement.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Evergreen branches bent under the weight of snow are already weakened; sweeping down the length of the branch toward the ground adds to the stress and increases the potential for breakage.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
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These policies impose devastating costs on American citizens, weakening our economy, increasing the national debt, straining public budgets and tearing families apart.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In this case, focusing on a dress versus the altruistic work Turner is doing feels like an attempt to discredit that very noble work.—
Essence,
Essence,
5 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … ‘COMPLETELY FAILED’ – CNN mocked for ‘effort to discredit’ Minnesota daycare fraud reporting.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By subverting trust and building paranoia to screeching highs, The Thing exploits some of humanity's worst traits.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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The directors spent over eight years tracking Shahverdi’s efforts to subvert economic systems and transform local attitudes.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The report reiterated concerns about seven situations, two of which have been on the list since 2007, including the bureaucracy’s chronic inability to successfully employ information technology — embarrassing for a state that is the global center for digital tools.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The report reiterated concerns about seven situations, two of which have been on the list since 2007, including the bureaucracy’s chronic inability to successfully employ information technology — embarrassing for a state that is the global center for digital tools.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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