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
Nor is the bishop of Rome trying to humiliate or dehumanize his opponent.
—
Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The scrutiny of fame has always been dehumanizing, though the ubiquity of the modern-day comment section has surely accelerated and exaggerated its cruelty.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
In a world that often feels fragmented and dehumanized, reclaiming this universality is an ethical act.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Those included flattering depictions of world leaders as powerful men, or dehumanizing depictions of opposition leaders.
—Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The scrutiny of fame has always been dehumanizing, though the ubiquity of the modern-day comment section has surely accelerated and exaggerated its cruelty.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
In a world that often feels fragmented and dehumanized, reclaiming this universality is an ethical act.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Those included flattering depictions of world leaders as powerful men, or dehumanizing depictions of opposition leaders.
—Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanize
Verb
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Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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Diomande just humiliates fullbacks.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Family Photo The family had fled the Congo after Carine, an activist, was brutalized for speaking out against the ruling regime.—
Jim Axelrod,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
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The Original brutalized El Grande Americano II back inside the ring.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In the film, Cady also poisons the family dog, Benjamin.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
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Thalib, a leading human rights activist and founder of KontraS who was poisoned with arsenic on a flight to Amsterdam.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanize. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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