as in discredits
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 humiliates
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
And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
And whether the Carolina Panthers are just stuck in an endless loop of embarrassment, one that alternately humiliates and enrages their fans.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
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
And Sacks, a PayPal Mafia member and veteran Silicon Valley investor, is just the sort of titan of industry this town routinely devours and humiliates — from Rex Tillerson to, well, Elon Musk.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
And whether the Carolina Panthers are just stuck in an endless loop of embarrassment, one that alternately humiliates and enrages their fans.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for humiliates
Verb
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While the marketplace hasn’t caught up, many are vocal about denouncing rhetoric that shames older women with the hopes that, one day, everyone will catch on.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nothing humbles a gal quite like the horrors of an old haircut.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The goal is to understand exactly how and why performance degrades over time.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
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Gasoline mixed with ethanol degrades even faster than pure gasoline and may not even last three months.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
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That’s another lazy phrase that demeans the dynamic of sport.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Longhorns’ roster build confuses me.—
The Athletic College Basketball Staff,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Humiliates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humiliates. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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