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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subvert
Outside of North Carolina, the ruling reverberates, sending a clear message to those who might try to subvert the 2026 elections: your efforts won’t succeed.
—
Sean Morales-Doyle, Time, 21 May 2025
Relative to previous presidents, Trump is much more willing to ignore the country’s interests and pursue goals that openly subvert them.
—Daniel Byman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
Both underscore how well this series, at its best, generates suspense from editing, while either subverting expectations or diabolically playing on common fears.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 19 May 2025
But the author is also interested in subverting societal expectations in her fiction.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Sean Morales-Doyle, Time, 21 May 2025
Relative to previous presidents, Trump is much more willing to ignore the country’s interests and pursue goals that openly subvert them.
—Daniel Byman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
Both underscore how well this series, at its best, generates suspense from editing, while either subverting expectations or diabolically playing on common fears.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 19 May 2025
But the author is also interested in subverting societal expectations in her fiction.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subvert
Verb
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One of the challenges is that signals in fiber-optic cables degrade over distance.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
24 June 2025
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Israel wants to degrade Iran's missiles and nuclear program.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Abandoning recognition can erode motivation, diminish engagement and make employees feel invisible, weakening the cultural fabric and undermining long-term resilience.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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But in an unexpected ruling in 2023, the Supreme Court declined an invitation to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.—
June 27,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Imagine an attacker subtly corrupting the data that trains a spam filter or fraud detector—the AI might then start letting threats slip through or flagging the wrong items.—
Ronen Cojocaru,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The peasants followed out of a need to earn a living, but they were frequently corrupted by the ideals of luxury and idleness exemplified by the rich, further driving them into poverty.—
Ben Woollard,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Kanye West fired multiple PR firms before his antisemitic meltdowns destroyed billion-dollar partnerships with Adidas and Gap.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Indeterminate numbers of casualties have occurred in both Iran and Israel, though Israel's intentions to destroy Iran's nuclear capabilities may require U.S. artillery aid in the form of multi-ton bunker buster bombs.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Miller sought to shield these women, her suit said, and as a result she was humiliated, harassed and ultimately forced out of her job by Spitzer and Nelson.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
20 June 2025
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As Howard begins to humiliate Matt, the camera follows all angles of the table, making sure to showcase everyone’s reactions.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Verb
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Read More: The Battle for Our Memory Is the Battle for Our Country But debasing our history through censorship and ideological cherry-picking insults the memory of the nine saints who were murdered at Mother Emanuel, desecrating its sacred space all over again.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
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An office that demands wisdom and restraint is now debased with churlish impulsivity, rambling incoherency and overt grift.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Still, no amount of artistic success could heal the rift that had poisoned the group.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
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In some cities, stray dogs are poisoned with strychnine, a pesticide banned in many countries for causing inhumane suffering.—
Lisa Klaassen,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The Senate would dilute the tax break’s value by $100 for every $1,000 of income over those thresholds.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
17 June 2025
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Consider, for instance, the incentives for homeowners to make significant investments in rooftop solar only to have the rules of the game changed so as to dilute the original benefits.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subvert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subvert. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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