1
as in reduces
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 deteriorates
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 humiliates
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 degrades
This process degrades the mirrors' reflectivity and clarity over time, so technicians regularly recoat and polish them to ensure the best precision.
—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
That performance degrades over time.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
These help slow down the wear and tear that degrades most traditional joysticks over time.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
As Science Alert points out, light also attenuates and degrades over long distances.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
This rampant, unauthorized AI use degrades the educational experience of individual students who overly rely on the technology and those who wish to avoid using it.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2025
For investigators, that extra time means memories fade and evidence degrades.
—Mercury News Editorial, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
Organizations celebrate productivity metrics while quality quietly degrades.
—Tarun Galagali, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
If information sharing degrades after CISA 2015’s sunset, hospitals–and all other critical infrastructure–very likely will lose crucial early warnings about ransomware variants and other attack methods.
—Cynthia Kaiser, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2025
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
That performance degrades over time.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
These help slow down the wear and tear that degrades most traditional joysticks over time.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
As Science Alert points out, light also attenuates and degrades over long distances.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
This rampant, unauthorized AI use degrades the educational experience of individual students who overly rely on the technology and those who wish to avoid using it.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2025
For investigators, that extra time means memories fade and evidence degrades.
—Mercury News Editorial, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
Organizations celebrate productivity metrics while quality quietly degrades.
—Tarun Galagali, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
If information sharing degrades after CISA 2015’s sunset, hospitals–and all other critical infrastructure–very likely will lose crucial early warnings about ransomware variants and other attack methods.
—Cynthia Kaiser, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrades
Verb
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Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains some sugar, but fermentation reduces how much your body actually absorbs.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
18 Oct. 2025
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People who were gestating during the famine grew up to have smaller brains; their kidneys had fewer nephrons, which reduces the organs’ effectiveness.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There is still plenty of long-term risk, depending on the rate at which Connor’s game deteriorates in his 30s.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Breaking them down to save for a later date isn’t enough, as bugs will still nestle their way in even as the cardboard deteriorates.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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To show him who’s boss, Catherine turns around and buys Pac-North, humiliates him by closing it, and forces him back to Grey Sloan.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
-
There’s always a moment in which somebody humiliates the villain and now all the love in him is gone.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Blocking them causes disruption to the cells’ energy-generating mitochondria and leads to oxidative stress, which further weakens cancer.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Even as the storm weakens over Baja California, its tropical moisture will continue to drift north, fueling intense downpours and possible flooding across the Southwest.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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DiCaprio, 50, subverts his Hollywood leading man image by wearing a ratty red robe, unkempt hair and oversized sunglasses as former revolutionary and current stoner Bob Ferguson, who is forced back into action to save himself and his daughter (Chase Infiniti) from paramilitary enforcers.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement The film largely follows the trajectory of the novel, but changes some details along the way—and adds one new, final twist that subverts the overall message of King's dystopian tale.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yes, growth is tempting — launching podcasts, videos, new products — but every expansion dilutes focus.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
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The map, which is awaiting Kehoe’s signature, dilutes Kansas City-area voters into three Republican-leaning districts.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s another lazy phrase that demeans the dynamic of sport.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrades.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrades. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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