as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the debasement of professional sports to a shamelessly commercial enterprise
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Recent Examples of debasement
Investors who are particularly concerned about currency debasement or geopolitical instability — both of which have driven gold's price run in recent years — may also find the physical gold component meaningful.
—
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Over and over, Colin takes stock of his own debasement.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Bitcoin has failed to respond to typical drivers like dollar weakness or geopolitical risk, unlike gold and silver which rallied to records as global tensions fueled fears about dollar debasement.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
Gold in particular has been buoyed by a mix of geopolitical tensions, fiscal uncertainty and concerns over currency debasement, forces that many believe remain firmly in place.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
The debasement trade has gained momentum on speculation that US authorities might be willing to work with their Japanese counterparts to support the yen — and thereby are open to a weaker greenback.
—Marcus Wong, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Powell did not directly address the longer-term debasement argument, but his emphasis on anchored expectations suggests the Fed sees little evidence that the gold rally reflects a fundamental erosion of monetary credibility.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
In this case, a life, however brief, that is clean and does not depend on the oppression and debasement of others.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
In that corner of the market, the debasement trade endured — less as a sweeping judgment on fiat, more as a focused bet on rates, policy and protection.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Over and over, Colin takes stock of his own debasement.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Bitcoin has failed to respond to typical drivers like dollar weakness or geopolitical risk, unlike gold and silver which rallied to records as global tensions fueled fears about dollar debasement.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026
Gold in particular has been buoyed by a mix of geopolitical tensions, fiscal uncertainty and concerns over currency debasement, forces that many believe remain firmly in place.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
The debasement trade has gained momentum on speculation that US authorities might be willing to work with their Japanese counterparts to support the yen — and thereby are open to a weaker greenback.
—Marcus Wong, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Powell did not directly address the longer-term debasement argument, but his emphasis on anchored expectations suggests the Fed sees little evidence that the gold rally reflects a fundamental erosion of monetary credibility.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
In this case, a life, however brief, that is clean and does not depend on the oppression and debasement of others.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
In that corner of the market, the debasement trade endured — less as a sweeping judgment on fiat, more as a focused bet on rates, policy and protection.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debasement
Noun
-
If Wyatt and Surrey could pen brilliant sonnets under Tudor tyranny, then certainly great art can be produced under capitalism despite its particular degradations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Major degradation to their ability to produce the ballistic missiles that have been striking so many of their Gulf neighbors, Israel and elsewhere.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That technical term means a calculation error can cause memory corruption inside the system.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Five years ago, Martin had been involved in a major gang case that prosecutors eventually dismissed following the fallout from the corruption and racist texting scandal involving Antioch police.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debasement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debasement. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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