as in humiliating
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 dehumanizing
The oversimplification of a complex developmental difference that exists on a spectrum of many different abilities and experiences is dehumanizing at best and dangerous at its worst, autism experts, advocacy groups and members of the community told USA TODAY.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
These aren’t random acts of violence—they’re the inevitable endpoint of a culture that has normalized dehumanizing those who express perspectives that differ from our own.
—Margie Warrell, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
And as social media is woven ever deeper into every corner of our lives — school, work, civic engagement, religious participation — dehumanizing images like these become harder for even the squeamish to avoid.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
As revealed by social media, far too many Americans, even those who know better, are comfortable dehumanizing those with different thoughts than them.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
These aren’t random acts of violence—they’re the inevitable endpoint of a culture that has normalized dehumanizing those who express perspectives that differ from our own.
—Margie Warrell, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
And as social media is woven ever deeper into every corner of our lives — school, work, civic engagement, religious participation — dehumanizing images like these become harder for even the squeamish to avoid.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 16 Sep. 2025
As revealed by social media, far too many Americans, even those who know better, are comfortable dehumanizing those with different thoughts than them.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanizing
Verb
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This announcement, humiliating the involved member, is harmful.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Art the Clown likes brutalizing women.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
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He was fired a few years later over allegations of brutalizing a suspect in custody.—
Omar Jimenez,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In November 2024, an American citizen was among six tourists who died in Laos, where alcohol tainted with methanol was blamed for poisoning them.—
Jay Ganglani,
NBC news,
5 Nov. 2025
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What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanizing. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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