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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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The thinking, according to airport officials, is to encourage riders to use the yet-to-open Automated People Mover, also known as Skylink, and to reduce vehicle traffic around the terminals.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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From the guest's POV, drinking water is provided in reusable glass bottles, with water refilling stations across the property, and restaurant ingredients are sourced from the nearby partner South Farm and local suppliers to reduce the carbon footprint and support the community.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 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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But no one here is out to humiliate anyone, which is nasty and unkind and not at all the sort of humor Lawrence trades in.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 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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Election experts widely discredited the review as shoddy and partisan.—
Benjamin Swasey,
NPR,
9 Mar. 2026
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These accusations are coming from far-right and far-left accounts as well as anti-Israel groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine, that are inclined to discredit Israel.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 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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These are embarrassing own goals that Republicans simply can’t afford.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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