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
In a chilling pattern, there are systematic efforts to sow disinformation, hate speech, and dehumanizing images in areas where militants want to carry out operations.
—
Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
In his director’s statement, Edwin describes the film as an attempt to merge horror with dark comedy and surreal fantasy while confronting labor exploitation and dehumanizing working conditions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Kansas City’s Democratic congressman Emanuel Cleaver condemned the warehouse proposal as dehumanizing in a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Polak is a symbol of virtue where conscience reigns over fear and intimidation to refute the hateful and divisive rhetoric of people like Charile Kirk who self-righteously relished in denigrating and dehumanizing others in a most un-Christian way.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
In his director’s statement, Edwin describes the film as an attempt to merge horror with dark comedy and surreal fantasy while confronting labor exploitation and dehumanizing working conditions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Kansas City’s Democratic congressman Emanuel Cleaver condemned the warehouse proposal as dehumanizing in a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 15 Jan. 2026
Polak is a symbol of virtue where conscience reigns over fear and intimidation to refute the hateful and divisive rhetoric of people like Charile Kirk who self-righteously relished in denigrating and dehumanizing others in a most un-Christian way.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanizing
Verb
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Some, like Zdorovetskiy, have been accused of assaulting and humiliating their targets as viewers push for violence.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The charge comes as some advocates and community members have clamored for Illinois officials to pursue criminal cases against immigration agents who have been accused of brutalizing city and suburban residents during their 64-day Operation Midway Blitz in the fall.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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Art the Clown likes brutalizing women.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Cindy Sommer — Todd’s widow, accused of poisoning her husband.—
Dateline NBC,
NBC news,
2 Mar. 2026
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Lauber’s testimony Thursday is pivotal to the prosecution of Kouri Richins, who is accused of poisoning her husband with a lethal dose of fentanyl.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanizing. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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