as in to discredit
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the reigning tennis champ was humiliated on the court by a newcomer who defeated him in straight sets
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Recent Examples of humiliate
The Rockies have been humiliated before in their first home game, but never as badly as this.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
The leadership of the country that has threatened the stability and prosperity of the world will eventually be ousted, disempowered and humiliated.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
State caseworkers have sent an untold number of elders in their care to a coterie of homes with a history of hurting, ignoring or humiliating their residents, records and anguished families say.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humiliate
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
The leadership of the country that has threatened the stability and prosperity of the world will eventually be ousted, disempowered and humiliated.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
State caseworkers have sent an untold number of elders in their care to a coterie of homes with a history of hurting, ignoring or humiliating their residents, records and anguished families say.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humiliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humiliate
Verb
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Robert Brulle, a visiting professor at Brown University who studies fossil fuel lobbying, said ExxonMobil led efforts to discredit climate science that successfully impeded government intervention.—
Alex Kuffner,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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New science and forensics have since discredited the expert’s conclusion, prompting Gurley to throw out the convictions and order a new trial.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The transparency issue also became important after the board embarrassed itself by quietly boosting board members’ pay by 25% — with Foley being the only member opposed.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
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Watching a prodigy embarrass the world over 72 holes was riveting; equally captivating is following the same person be exposed by life, hubris and ego.—
Mac Engel
April 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 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
Cite this Entry
“Humiliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humiliate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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