1
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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Recent Examples of degrade
And while most silicone kitchen gear withstands high heat, some cooking utensils are of lower quality and may degrade when exposed to high temperatures.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
Pollution from urban runoff and industrial discharges continues to degrade water quality.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Airstrikes, however, won’t be any more effective at degrading the cartels or diminishing the flow of drugs into the United States than ground operations would be.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
While some people argued that the photo was degrading to women, Carpenter stood by the photo and poked fun at the controversy while sharing alternate album covers.
—Katherine Schaffstall, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2025
Pollution from urban runoff and industrial discharges continues to degrade water quality.
—Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Airstrikes, however, won’t be any more effective at degrading the cartels or diminishing the flow of drugs into the United States than ground operations would be.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025
While some people argued that the photo was degrading to women, Carpenter stood by the photo and poked fun at the controversy while sharing alternate album covers.
—Katherine Schaffstall, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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Made with prebiotic oat to soothe irritation and support the skin barrier, the gentle cream also has feverfew extract, which is packed with antioxidants that reduce redness and further calm irritation.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
4 Sep. 2025
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Funding used in high school for more than 29 credit hours will reduce scholarship eligibility after high school by one year, and more than 59 credit hours will reduce eligibility by two years.—
Edward McKinnon,
Arkansas Online,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The 112-year-old school building has asbestos and a deteriorating foundation.—
Erica Mosca,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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But when the levees failed, thousands of people were trapped inside as supplies dwindled and conditions deteriorated quickly.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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And whether the Carolina Panthers are just stuck in an endless loop of embarrassment, one that alternately humiliates and enrages their fans.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While the case garnered global acclaim, Captain Terauchi was demoted to a desk job for ’embarrassing’ the airline, only to be reinstated later.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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The Royals will need to decide which player will be demoted to make room.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
1 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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About two hours later, the US Air Force dropped military flares in the sky, with rumors stating this was an attempt to cover up and discredit the UFO incident that occurred earlier in the evening.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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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
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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If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, then came an ugly post-game brawl that has gone viral on social media all over the world.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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Ultimately, the Eagles embarrassed the Chiefs, shutting them out 24-0 in the first half, and captured a 40-22 win.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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