1
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
our failure to win a single game completely debased us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2025
The site just becomes a generically unpleasant way of showing Mike debasing himself to meet the escalating prices.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
His illuminating backstage account of cable news describes thoughtful journalists debasing themselves in their scramble to retain straying viewers.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debase
Verb
An office that demands wisdom and restraint is now debased with churlish impulsivity, rambling incoherency and overt grift.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2025
The site just becomes a generically unpleasant way of showing Mike debasing himself to meet the escalating prices.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
His illuminating backstage account of cable news describes thoughtful journalists debasing themselves in their scramble to retain straying viewers.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Long-term drought has degraded the old-growth forest where the squirrels live.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Design for Choice, Not Chaos Present customers with multiple options, from digital wallets to local payment rails, without degrading user experience.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Inter Miami, clearly humiliated, let out its frustrations after the final whistle, when several Miami players, led by Luis Suarez, got into a scuffle with Seattle players.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
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These violations, perpetrated primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war, include genital violence such as electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Once opened, maple syrup should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent mold growth and flavor degradation.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Aug. 2025
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Suppression repair is a critical part of firefighting efforts, to reduce erosion and soil degradation in the areas used in the firefighting efforts.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Added to this natural reluctance, competition between institutions has subverted collaboration to increase net welfare.—
David G.W. Birch,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Much of how the show subverts expectation is through its cast — Will Lipton, Zendé Murdock, Axel Ellis, Jesse Golliher, and Jeremy Yun — a group of twenty-somethings hailing from across the country who, since their casting, have become a real band amid an industry rock resurgence.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eventually, however, Lowell’s ideas were discredited—Schiaparelli, once an ally, renounced them—and the world moved on.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
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By the end of the year, the cold fusion bubble had burst, the technology was discredited, and the concept relegated to bad spy fiction and conspiracy theories.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Temirov was unlawfully deported to Moscow in 2022 in retaliation for his investigative reporting on high-level corruption in the Kyrgyz government, according to Sorensen.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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Many Iranians wonder why their government spends so much money and effort on picking fights with Israel, the United States, and their allies, rather than on fixing its own corruption.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Israeli strikes severely weakened Hezbollah – culminating in the assassination of its revered leader, Hassan Nasrallah – and significantly curtailed the group’s domestic clout.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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Symptoms related to Listeria monocytogenes Listeria is especially harmful to people whose immune system is weakened or not fully developed but can also impact healthy individuals.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even worse, the guidelines gave room for chatbots to demean people by race and spread false medical claims.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Swift has no issue taking shots at the media and fans who use her relationships as a way to demean and excoriate her.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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