as in corrupts
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
the belief that pornography depraves society as a whole
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for depraves
Verb
-
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This process degrades the mirrors' reflectivity and clarity over time, so technicians regularly recoat and polish them to ensure the best precision.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
That performance degrades over time.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Broken heart syndrome, which is more formally known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, occurs when the heart muscle weakens temporarily and causes similar serious health concerns to those of a heart attack.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
-
That’s a three-year gap that may require retirees to withdraw a much larger percentage of their portfolio to cover, leaving them open to greater risk if the market weakens significantly.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There is still plenty of long-term risk, depending on the rate at which Connor’s game deteriorates in his 30s.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Breaking them down to save for a later date isn’t enough, as bugs will still nestle their way in even as the cardboard deteriorates.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To show him who’s boss, Catherine turns around and buys Pac-North, humiliates him by closing it, and forces him back to Grey Sloan.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
-
There’s always a moment in which somebody humiliates the villain and now all the love in him is gone.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
DiCaprio, 50, subverts his Hollywood leading man image by wearing a ratty red robe, unkempt hair and oversized sunglasses as former revolutionary and current stoner Bob Ferguson, who is forced back into action to save himself and his daughter (Chase Infiniti) from paramilitary enforcers.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Advertisement The film largely follows the trajectory of the novel, but changes some details along the way—and adds one new, final twist that subverts the overall message of King's dystopian tale.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Freddy Krueger debases the suburban American ideal through the dreams of teenagers in Nightmare on Elm Street.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Once in place, the device releases liquid nitrogen, reaching temperatures as low as –170°C to form an ice ball that destroys the tumor cells.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
10 Oct. 2025
-
These newly aware companies’ high-speed trading of financial projects destroys the Earth itself, forcing humans to flee to the margins of the solar system.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Depraves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/depraves. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share