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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
Vinegar can damage some finishes and the protective coating on some wood cabinets may have degraded over time.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
An Israeli military campaign in 2024 significantly degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities.
—Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Women have seen their rights steadily degraded since the Taliban returned to power.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Development in the area, specifically neighborhoods, roads and infrastructure, have degraded Northwest Indiana’s wetlands and prevented their connection, which harms bird species, Suarez said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
An Israeli military campaign in 2024 significantly degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities.
—Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Women have seen their rights steadily degraded since the Taliban returned to power.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Development in the area, specifically neighborhoods, roads and infrastructure, have degraded Northwest Indiana’s wetlands and prevented their connection, which harms bird species, Suarez said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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Its hypergolic propellant allows the missile to remain fueled for extended periods, reducing launch prep to minutes.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
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For inmates already on a hormone-replacement regimen, BOP will consider placing them on a taper plan that gradually reduces their dosage at a safe withdrawal pace.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The development changed hands a couple of times during the 1920s, and during the late 1920s and the 1930s, the building deteriorated to the point of being unlivable as white flight and disinvestment hit the area, Preservation Chicago said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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Infection occurs when the tree's bark is damaged by insects, animals, or mechanical wounds, causing the soft wood to deteriorate quickly and make the trunk and branches susceptible to breakage.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Most casual fans could spend their entire lives studying a library’s worth of chess theory, only to still be routinely humiliated by competitive players.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Feb. 2026
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Fatme feels humiliated, but Toha is too busy plotting how to return from her rundown village near the Nile.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Once Watson and Gordon are both back, Watson will probably be coming off the bench for the first time since mid-November, unless Adelman wants to make a more dramatic change by demoting someone from his starting lineup.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
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Informed that he would be demoted to a depth role, Spence asked for a trade and was dealt to the Ottawa Senators for two mid-round draft picks.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Although weakened, the factions still survive, and could form a powerful, transnational and motivated insurgency when the time comes to fight whatever emerges if the Islamic Republic falls.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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Several bills that had been filed in the state Senate and House of Representatives, which critics have warned would weaken reporting and training standards for the Department of Child and Family Services, have been put on hold, according to state officials.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The defense argues these lines of inquiry were unrelated to the felony charges and intended to discredit the protesters’ political beliefs.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2026
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All four men were subjected to police interrogation techniques that are now widely discredited for leading to false confessions.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The other reminds us how easily that reliability can be subverted in fiction.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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The institutions that are supposed to solve collective action problems have been hijacked or subverted.—
Sarah Jeong,
The Verge,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Noah Silver, Boca Raton Americans may need a refresher on why Attorney General Pam Bondi continues to embarrass herself and her office.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2026
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From that moment on, the guard helped the Hornets thoroughly embarrass the team that drafted him into the league, dropping the Bulls 131-99 in their 10th consecutive loss.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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