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
Long-range drone and missile strikes have been a key element of the conflict as both Kyiv and Moscow seek to degrade the other's economy and undermine their ability to prosecute and fund the ongoing war.
—
David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Unlike the more pristine Orientale basin, features in this 400-mile-wide crater have been degraded by subsequent lunar impacts, NASA said.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Only three years later, the Apollo program ended, and the technical capacity to build, assemble, and operate millions of parts quickly degraded.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Such theories suggest the Illuminati still work to degrade religious influence through civil upheaval.
—Derek Arnold, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Unlike the more pristine Orientale basin, features in this 400-mile-wide crater have been degraded by subsequent lunar impacts, NASA said.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Only three years later, the Apollo program ended, and the technical capacity to build, assemble, and operate millions of parts quickly degraded.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Such theories suggest the Illuminati still work to degrade religious influence through civil upheaval.
—Derek Arnold, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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Global oil supply has reduced by 13%, according to the IMF, while severe damage has been done to other critical supply chains.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
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But government hunting programs and other efforts to reduce their numbers as the human population grew led to the local extinction, or extirpation, of the animals from California more than a century ago.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Last week, Narges was finally allowed a brief visit with her sister and two lawyers, who were alarmed at how rapidly her health had deteriorated.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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And a once modern grid which has deteriorated to developing world standards with widespread load-shedding and blackouts.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Rockies have been humiliated before in their first home game, but never as badly as this.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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The leadership of the country that has threatened the stability and prosperity of the world will eventually be ousted, disempowered and humiliated.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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They aren’t being demoted or deprioritized.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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The mayor has since demoted Brewer from board chair and seeks to remove him as operating chairman as well, but the soonest Johnson can wield the supermajority likely required to fire Pettigrew for cause would be this summer.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hungary is a major importer of Russian energy and the sanctions would have impacted the country's already weakening economy.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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But instead, the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization — which is an order for action — and limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The financial motive was also discredited as George had previously turned down his share of the family inheritance.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
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The deputy gang narrative was a political campaign created to discredit my administration, never used during the McDonnell era, and mysteriously disappeared during the current administration.—
Opinion Staff,
Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The story begins on a train, somewhat subverts the typical strangers-on-a-train narrative in which a chance encounter leads to a love story (that is, the Linklater version rather than the Hitchcock one).—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Both its physical abilities and global history actively subvert the philosopher’s aphorism.—
Andrés Muedano,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And when that happens, Jamahl Mosley — a good coach and an even better man — will be the fall guy for a team that is embarrassing itself on a national scale and getting exposed in the league standings.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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The very existence of Tisch’s relationship and conversations with Epstein, which are not in dispute, should be enough to embarrass the NFL.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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