pervert

1 to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of that summary really perverts the other candidate's views on taxes Synonyms bend, color, cook, distort, falsify, fudge, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, garble, slant, twist, warpRelated Words misdescribe, misspeak, mistranslate; belie, camouflage, disguise, dissemble, gloss (over), mask, veil, whitewash; bowdlerize, censor; complicate, confound, confuse, mistake, mix (up); mystify, obscure; equivocate, fib, lie, palter, prevaricateNear Antonyms clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out; decipher

2 to lower in character, dignity, or quality a movie that perverted the Bible story by reveling in the sinners' lewd behavior until just before the moment of divine retribution Synonyms abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, debase, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warpRelated Words befoul, begrime, contaminate, defile, dilute, dirty, pollute, taint, thin, water down, weaken; descend; disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, shame, take down; blemish, damage, deface, destroy, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, mar, ruin, spoil, stain, tarnish, wreck; depreciate, downgradeNear Antonyms dignify, exalt, honor; ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect; clarify, clean, cleanse, purify, refine, restore; respectAntonyms elevate, ennoble, uplift

3 to put to a bad or improper use accused of perverting the Internal Revenue Service by using it to harass political opponents Synonyms abuse, misemploy, misuse, misapply, profane, prostituteRelated Words degrade, twist; mismanage; corrupt, debase, desecrateNear Antonyms apply, employ, use, utilize; respect