as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
by the time of the fourth rewrite, the screenplay had pretty much been gelded of all originality
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Recent Examples of geld
Gegen and his 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding One Question raced through the course in 44.686 seconds for the win.
—
Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
An Oldenburg gelding in the horse barn, which is paved with rubber tiles; another stall contains a 1900s French armchair, a 19th-century table, and bird prints.
—Anita Sarsidi, ELLE Decor, 1 June 2023
Because Moscow retains a close partner in this effort to geld Ukraine—a vassal state that presents the model for what Putin would like to accomplish in Ukraine: Belarus.
—Casey Michel, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022
Yet on May 8, 1920 — 100 years ago Friday — Man o’ War was conspicuously absent from Churchill Downs, neither entered nor even nominated for the 46th Derby won by the gelding Paul Jones.
—Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 7 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for geld
Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025
An Oldenburg gelding in the horse barn, which is paved with rubber tiles; another stall contains a 1900s French armchair, a 19th-century table, and bird prints.
—Anita Sarsidi, ELLE Decor, 1 June 2023
Because Moscow retains a close partner in this effort to geld Ukraine—a vassal state that presents the model for what Putin would like to accomplish in Ukraine: Belarus.
—Casey Michel, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022
Yet on May 8, 1920 — 100 years ago Friday — Man o’ War was conspicuously absent from Churchill Downs, neither entered nor even nominated for the 46th Derby won by the gelding Paul Jones.
—Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 7 May 2020
See All Example Sentences for geld
Recent Examples of Synonyms for geld
Verb
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The reason this feels so different to teachers than the tech panics of the past is that there is no clear solution to how AI is undermining nearly every aspect of education.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The cost of maintaining death row prisoners and a number of botched executions in recent years—lethal injections or gas administrations that take far too long to work, for example—have also undermined confidence.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Justin Bieber has had multiple stalkers, including a New Mexico man and his nephew who plotted to murder and castrate the pop singer in 2013.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
15 Mar. 2026
-
After his conviction, Turing was chemically castrated.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sinlaku is forecast to continue weakening through the next few days, the National Weather Service said, passing west of the islands of Alamagan, Pagan and Agrihan through the latter half of the week.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Some target the bacterial cell wall, weakening it until the cell breaks apart and dies.—
Panteha Torabian,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Your 12th House of Silence hosts ambitious Mars, who’s cheering on Pluto in your 10th House of Audiences, turning private prep into public credibility without draining you.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This elegant plant thrives in full sun and well-draining soil, requiring minimal care.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Gophers’ top centers, Sophie Hart and Finau Tonga, were graduate players last season and have exhausted their eligibility.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Americans are exhausted from the pandemic, the 2022 inflation surge, tariffs.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Los Angeles County deputies arrested a man last week after he was spotted on a Rancho Palos Verdes hiking trail armed with multiple guns and wearing body armor.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The picture appeared to have been taken during one of Justin's rehearsal days, as Hailey wore the same black crop top and gray sweats in a video of her dancing while Justin took the stage.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The filmmaker leans pop-comic rather than petrifying in his final draft, opting for earnestness that smothers atmospheric dread.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
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The former slingshots between harmony and hysteria; the latter petrifies its beauty under a haze of ashy gray powder.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
28 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Geld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/geld. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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