as in to humiliate
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
being deprived of clothes dehumanized the prisoners
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Recent Examples of dehumanize
In Texas, a state largely supportive of Israel, many Palestinians feel ignored, unsupported and dehumanized by politicians.
—
Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
There’s a conscious effort to dehumanize immigrants.
—Cd Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
But this rejection of empathy has paved the way for dehumanizing rhetoric toward entire groups.
—Brian Recker, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Yet, signs like these serve only to dehumanize, alienate, and belittle their contributions.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
There’s a conscious effort to dehumanize immigrants.
—Cd Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
But this rejection of empathy has paved the way for dehumanizing rhetoric toward entire groups.
—Brian Recker, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Yet, signs like these serve only to dehumanize, alienate, and belittle their contributions.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanize
Verb
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Inter Miami, clearly humiliated, let out its frustrations after the final whistle, when several Miami players, led by Luis Suarez, got into a scuffle with Seattle players.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
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These violations, perpetrated primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war, include genital violence such as electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information.—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli and Gabe Kidd brutalized Ospreay, targeting the neck which he was set to have surgery on.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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With very few exceptions, low-rent buildings are run down, services are almost impossible to obtain, and except for the fact that New Yorkers have been so brutalized by their living conditions, such housing would be uninhabitable.—
Nicholas Pileggi,
Curbed,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In pre-trial evidence released last month, Erin's ex-husband Simon also accused Erin of attempting to fatally poison him on multiple occasions, per the BBC.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The patients allegedly poisoned were between the ages of 4 and 89, according to Le Monde.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanize. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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