as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward
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Recent Examples of subvert
The other reminds us how easily that reliability can be subverted in fiction.
—
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The institutions that are supposed to solve collective action problems have been hijacked or subverted.
—Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
After all, one of the persistent impulses of modern art has been to antagonize people of correct sensibilities, to subvert their cherished institutions.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
The institutions that are supposed to solve collective action problems have been hijacked or subverted.
—Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2026
After all, one of the persistent impulses of modern art has been to antagonize people of correct sensibilities, to subvert their cherished institutions.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subvert
Verb
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been degraded during the American and Israeli war against it, but remains far from neutralized.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Conventional relay-lens setups often degrade beam quality or require precise positioning.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Under this model, airlines, hotels, and other end-service providers may benefit, while intermediaries such as ticket booking platforms and price comparison websites may see their roles weakened.—
,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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This weakens the plant and can cause dieback.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Richard Pazdur, a longtime cancer drug regulator, retired from the CDER director post in December due to concerns that political officials were corrupting the agency’s scientific process.—
Lizzy Lawrence,
STAT,
6 Mar. 2026
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Over time, these invisible strikes can corrupt data, damage components, and shorten a spacecraft’s life.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The port has already planted acres of mangroves and sea grass and donated the land to the state of Florida to offset the habitat that would be destroyed during dredging.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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The reasons for this cautious response are many, ranging from the precarious diplomatic implications of the conflict, disruptions to its energy security, and the embarrassing implications of allowing an ally to be destroyed.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But no one here is out to humiliate anyone, which is nasty and unkind and not at all the sort of humor Lawrence trades in.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Haphazardly propped on the ground with wiring and hardware exposed, the flags appear as symbols debased and emptied after centuries of misuse.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
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Since the summer of 2025, antiforeigner sentiment—fueled by false or exaggerated claims about migrant workers committing crimes, foreign residents draining welfare coffers, or international tourists debasing Japanese culture—has taken hold in Japanese politics.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Robert Josh Grossman read through several pages of text messages between him and Kouri Richins, who is accused of poisoning her husband with a fatal dose of fentanyl.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
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Condors vanished from the state’s North Coast after the arrival of European settlers, who killed other animals with lead bullets and strychnine — poisoning the raptors that feed on carrion.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Artificial intelligence companies recently threatened to shun Illinois and build their most advanced data centers in Wisconsin and Indiana if the state doesn’t dilute its privacy law, the toughest in the country.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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The plans allow existing stockholders to buy shares at a steep discount, which dilutes the value and voting power of new share purchases.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subvert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subvert. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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