1
as in to paralyze
to deprive of courage or confidence
the mere sight of the forbidding cliffs demoralized the climbers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to discourage
to lessen the courage or confidence of
we refused to be demoralized by our humiliating defeat and vowed to come roaring back the following week
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
felt society as a whole has been demoralized by the widespread availability of pornography
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demoralize
The effort to remove the soldier's wife, who was born in Honduras and remained in a federal immigration detention center Monday, has drawn backlash from military family advocates who called the detention demoralizing in a time of war and warned that deporting spouses could undermine recruitment.
—
Jack Brook, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Though my teammates were dehydrated and slightly red in the summer heat, they were not demoralized.
—Gaby Del Valle, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Annual ritual causes anxiety Many have called the annual ritual disruptive to schools and demoralizing to the employees who receive them.
—Edsource, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Creating uncertainty in Iran’s military should help demoralize officers and inspire defections.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Jack Brook, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
Though my teammates were dehydrated and slightly red in the summer heat, they were not demoralized.
—Gaby Del Valle, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Annual ritual causes anxiety Many have called the annual ritual disruptive to schools and demoralizing to the employees who receive them.
—Edsource, Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Creating uncertainty in Iran’s military should help demoralize officers and inspire defections.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demoralize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demoralize
Verb
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The standoff has paralyzed one of the council’s most consequential bodies and left a growing backlog of zoning proposals in limbo as the committee reviews zoning changes required to begin construction projects of all kinds across the city.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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In May 2024, a cyberattack paralyzed many of the organization’s digital resources, affecting electronic medical records systems, prescriptions and refills, credit card payments, processing of electronic lab and radiology orders and access to its patient portal online.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Gerson therapists discourage the use of chemotherapy.—
Kaan Ozcan,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
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Officials will continue to investigate the area for further evidence of poison bait, and also stressed the importance of the community's cooperation to discourage and prevent the use of poison baits against wildlife.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And the President doesn’t seem to mind if Vance humiliates himself running errands.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
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The series follows Sabrina (Ayres), who is humiliated and emotionally devastated after being betrayed by her boyfriend.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Defendants face charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and conspiracy statutes and are accused of intimidating worshippers and disrupting religious services.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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While some online say their attire looks intimidating, people who have worked with them personally say otherwise.—
Carmela Karcher,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So if you’re frustrated by high streaming fees, this merger is a nightmare.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s war with Iran, attacks on Pope Leo XIV, and a Jesus meme have frustrated some young conservatives, including longtime supporters who question his focus.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Excavators sifted through sandy soil degraded by more than a century of cranberry production that formed a thick, hard layer over the natural freshwater wetlands the farms were built on.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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The situation has caused a pile-on of speculation and allegations—including from some of its competitors—that the company is purposely degrading performance owing to a lack of compute capacity.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There’s no surefire way to frighten bees and other stinger pollinators from your home, but there are ways to make your living space less attractive to them.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
7 Apr. 2026
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When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every time a middle-class family is forced to drain its wealth or pull back on discretionary spending just to absorb the logistical cost of a geopolitical crisis, the entire economy weakens.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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But an industry post from commercial real estate analytics firm CoStar cites geopolitical conflict and high ticket prices for weakening demand and hotelier optimism.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demoralize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demoralize. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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