as in to corrupt
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the belief that pornography depraves society as a whole
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Recent Examples of deprave
The company goes on to say the infringing product depraves Levi’s its rights to use and control its trademark and maintain its reputation with consumers, licensees and collaborators and allows others to believe the distinctive features of the Tab trademark may be misappropriated for their use.
—
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025
They are depraved on account of being deprived.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
The company goes on to say the infringing product depraves Levi’s its rights to use and control its trademark and maintain its reputation with consumers, licensees and collaborators and allows others to believe the distinctive features of the Tab trademark may be misappropriated for their use.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025
All writings, unpalatable for one section of the society, cannot be labeled as obscene, vulgar, depraving, prurient and immoral. . . .
—Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2019
This is especially true when the news operation is clearly on the side of righteousness against a policy as depraved this.
—David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, 15 June 2018
This series follows the trails of their obsession, and takes a deep dive into the killers’ depraved psyches to reveal their darkest secrets as investigators close in to end the killer’s reign of terror.
—Michael O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2018
McDonagh complicates Mildred's story by showing how the lust for justice can grow depraved the longer it is denied — a favorite subject of dramatists going back to Aeschylus.
—Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 1 Mar. 2018
As depraved a forum as Twitter can be at times, one of its redeeming characteristics is its users' penchant for outing liars in real time.
—Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, 18 Feb. 2018
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025
They are depraved on account of being deprived.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 14 Dec. 2024
The company goes on to say the infringing product depraves Levi’s its rights to use and control its trademark and maintain its reputation with consumers, licensees and collaborators and allows others to believe the distinctive features of the Tab trademark may be misappropriated for their use.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025
All writings, unpalatable for one section of the society, cannot be labeled as obscene, vulgar, depraving, prurient and immoral. . . .
—Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2019
This is especially true when the news operation is clearly on the side of righteousness against a policy as depraved this.
—David Zurawik, baltimoresun.com, 15 June 2018
This series follows the trails of their obsession, and takes a deep dive into the killers’ depraved psyches to reveal their darkest secrets as investigators close in to end the killer’s reign of terror.
—Michael O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2018
McDonagh complicates Mildred's story by showing how the lust for justice can grow depraved the longer it is denied — a favorite subject of dramatists going back to Aeschylus.
—Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 1 Mar. 2018
As depraved a forum as Twitter can be at times, one of its redeeming characteristics is its users' penchant for outing liars in real time.
—Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, 18 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deprave
Verb
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Imagine an attacker subtly corrupting the data that trains a spam filter or fraud detector—the AI might then start letting threats slip through or flagging the wrong items.—
Ronen Cojocaru,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The peasants followed out of a need to earn a living, but they were frequently corrupted by the ideals of luxury and idleness exemplified by the rich, further driving them into poverty.—
Ben Woollard,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
One of the challenges is that signals in fiber-optic cables degrade over distance.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 June 2025
-
Israel wants to degrade Iran's missiles and nuclear program.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
But in an unexpected ruling in 2023, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
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Abandoning recognition can erode motivation, diminish engagement and make employees feel invisible, weakening the cultural fabric and undermining long-term resilience.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
The atmosphere, at once debauched and sombre, felt like a wake, one attendee said.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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But as commercialization took hold, the event metastasized into a pit of hard drugs, drunkenness, and debauch a world apart from its bohemian origins.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In his eyes, a Jew who fails to share that outlook becomes the monster of traditional antisemitic lore: something perverted from its essential nature.—
Robert Helfand,
Hartford Courant,
21 May 2025
-
The rule of law has been invoked and perverted in a concerted effort to undermine it.—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
Emotionally charged, visceral and immersive, the new sequel 28 Years Later subverts expectations in many ways, not least by making a 12-year-old boy — Spike, played with a poignant balance of vulnerability and resilience by terrific newcomer Alfie Williams — the indisputable protagonist.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
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And yet, writer/director Celine Song subverts it all — and that’s the point.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Miller sought to shield these women, her suit said, and as a result she was humiliated, harassed and ultimately forced out of her job by Spitzer and Nelson.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
20 June 2025
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As Howard begins to humiliate Matt, the camera follows all angles of the table, making sure to showcase everyone’s reactions.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Still, no amount of artistic success could heal the rift that had poisoned the group.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
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In some cities, stray dogs are poisoned with strychnine, a pesticide banned in many countries for causing inhumane suffering.—
Lisa Klaassen,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deprave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deprave. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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