debases

verb

present tense third-person singular of debase
1
as in degrades
to lower in character, dignity, or quality we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in humiliates
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 debases But when the King is gifted with another little person, whom the king debases and shames, Hopfrog plots a terrible revenge. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026 In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 In a new Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the composer behind the HBO show’s memorable soundtrack described an industry that debases its own art and the people who make it for the sake of consumerism. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026 Freddy Krueger debases the suburban American ideal through the dreams of teenagers in Nightmare on Elm Street. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debases
  1. degrades
  2. humiliates
  3. weakens
  4. discredits
  5. corrupts
  6. embarrasses
  7. subverts
  8. demeans
Verb
  • According to fragrance company Goldfield & Banks, an 18-degree increase in temperature degrades perfume twice as fast.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026
  • For example, Arnold and his colleagues discovered a technique that degrades proteins that hold synapses together, deleting them from neurons en masse.
    — Simon Makin, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrades
Verb
  • Filming a scene in which Isaiah humiliates Cam, Withers asked Wayans to crack jokes about Kionte’s death — the defining event of Withers’ life, and his lowest point.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Diomande just humiliates fullbacks.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
Definition of humiliates
Verb
  • This molten salt weakens the coating on the silicon panel, allowing the silver wires to peel off intact as pure metal.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Don’t optimize today’s economics in a way that weakens tomorrow’s leadership pipeline.
    — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • Taking aim at history on the exact 250th anniversary of the United States, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a report on July 4 that discredits the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
    — Nora Oakes Howard, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The praiseworthyness of having both sides of the debate evaporates when the host actively discredits the expert and reflexively enhances the legitimacy of the conspiracy theorist.
    — Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of discredits
Verb
  • Forgetting his bond with the land, Mariano awakens the Ch’iqmi, a dark force that corrupts his people.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 25 June 2026
  • One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of corrupts
Verb
  • Or from locking up Mick Cronin through 2030, even though UCLA’s prickly basketball coach embarrasses the university annually and hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2023.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of embarrasses
Verb
  • If Blyth makes good use of his own amiability, Whitford subverts his.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
  • This places the audience alongside the Konyaks, and subverts the traditional, colonial cinematic gaze in the vein of Filipino maestro Lav Diaz.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of subverts
Verb
  • Most frustratingly, the secret traitor demeans us, the audience.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
  • That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of demeans

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debasers
debases
debasing
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Cite this Entry

“Debases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debases. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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