DE-GRADE Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

degrade

verb

di-ˈgrād

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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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of degrade Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war, now in its fifth year. —

David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026 His moves to West Ham United and Milan have badly degraded the 33-year-old’s stock. —

Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 Iranian air power has been significantly degraded but not erased, said the officials, who requested anonymity from CBS News because they were not authorized to discuss the matters publicly. —

Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026 The aging of government and capital alike has led to a crisis of renewal in politics and society, as younger Americans see their interests disregarded and their prospects for advancement degraded. —

Samuel Moyn, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for degrade

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade

Verb

In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned at a Singaporean prison for vandalism, a day after his sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has—unfairly—been reduced to an excuse to drink tequila and eat guac.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026