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
By gelding a choirboy, the Church would suspend his gossamer vocal cords so that a child’s song could live on in a man’s throat, backed, crucially, by a man’s powerful lungs.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for geld
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for geld
Recent Examples of Synonyms for geld
Verb
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The question is whether this bill does so or instead sweeps innocent families into an overbroad administrative system that does little to improve child safety while undermining constitutional protections for parents.—
James R Mason,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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John blamed Steve for the Mac Division’s poor sales and lambasted him for undermining his authority.—
Geoffrey Cain,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
Verb
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If the very successful 25-year-old Coward had been caught with a man, he could have been jailed or chemically castrated.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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As consumer activity has weakened, the central bank has warned about the growing misalignment between real sentiment and headline GDP growth.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
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Heat can shrink fabrics, fade colors and weaken elastic fibers, which shortens the life of garments that would otherwise hold up for years.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Mitchell did not miss a shot in the quarter, draining all three of her 3-point tries as well as a step-back jumper.—
John Davis,
Daily News,
14 May 2026
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Even with so many suspects, Janet's brother, Francesco Caltieri, remembers hope draining away in his family's household.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Specifically, the program targets gap funding, financial support for students who are academically on track to graduate but have exhausted every other source of aid and still face an outstanding balance that could prevent them from finishing.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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At the school board meeting, many parents said they were exhausted from battling their kids over screen time.—
Sharon Lurye,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Video of the shooting was captured on the home’s surveillance cameras and the body cameras worn by police, all of which was reviewed by Prescott’s office.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Queen Camilla returned to her one of her go-to suede-and-leather cap-toe pumps, while Jessica Oyelowo wore black patent mary janes with floral and crystal detail.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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In group chats and meetings, Republicans are privately petrified the Iran war could cost them the midterms.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Geld.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/geld. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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