1
as in degrading
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2
as in perverted
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Dissimilar Words
as in debasement
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in corrupting
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 humiliating
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debasing
Gracia Liu-Farrer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025
But the story of Hilma af Klint lacks the blunt clarity of balance sheets, and her afterlife suggests that money, far from debasing art, is what pins it to the world.
—Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Is Alec Bloom’s seemingly sincere political schmoozing meaningfully different from arts-nonprofit-director Gary Pidgeon debasing himself to coax money from donors?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
For decades, bartenders have been defaming the Mai Tai, debasing it, making and selling versions of the drink that were childish and incomplex, saccharine and flat.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
Since the summer of 2025, antiforeigner sentiment—fueled by false or exaggerated claims about migrant workers committing crimes, foreign residents draining welfare coffers, or international tourists debasing Japanese culture—has taken hold in Japanese politics.
—Gracia Liu-Farrer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025
But the story of Hilma af Klint lacks the blunt clarity of balance sheets, and her afterlife suggests that money, far from debasing art, is what pins it to the world.
—Alice Gregory, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Is Alec Bloom’s seemingly sincere political schmoozing meaningfully different from arts-nonprofit-director Gary Pidgeon debasing himself to coax money from donors?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
For decades, bartenders have been defaming the Mai Tai, debasing it, making and selling versions of the drink that were childish and incomplex, saccharine and flat.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debasing
Adjective
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Sheriff Guidroz said the three inmates removed blocks from a degrading wall in the prison to create a hole, and used sheets to assist them in climbing down a wall and dropping to the ground.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
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The safety alert also offered guidance to students on recognizing possible hazing, including coercion, unsafe or degrading activities, or tasks presented as mandatory for joining a group.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Udo Kier is the perverted master of ceremonies in this three-ring circus of deviancy from director Paul Morrissey, which takes Frankenstein’s romantic necrophilia and distills it to its glistening, taboo essence.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
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In a searing rebuttal days before the British socialite was convicted for procuring victims for Epstein’s abuse in December 2021, Comey spoke to the perverted duo’s reasons for targeting teens from disadvantaged backgrounds.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Investor demand has also been underpinned by debasement trade, as concerns over swelling debt loads drive a retreat from sovereign bonds and the currencies they are issued in.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And along the way enrich himself and partner with some of the world's most dangerous and violent drug traffickers and corrupting his country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
First, someone, like the objecting citizen in Denton, warns that a dangerous force is corrupting the schools.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
The Atlantic,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This announcement, humiliating the involved member, is harmful.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Bruce was praised by fellow members of the White House press corps for asking important questions despite the president’s demeaning comments.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
21 Nov. 2025
-
In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Schiffl, the provost's spokesperson, says the nuns' social media presence is unbecoming of their order and that their superiors take a dim view of it.—
Esme Nicholson,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
-
This is unbecoming of the office.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Chávez, who died of cancer in 2013, avoided such a humiliation.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Awkward, yes, but a far cry from the open humiliation of the Ukrainian leader that played out in the Oval Office in February.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debasing. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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