subverted

verb

past tense of subvert
as in corrupted
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subverted The Sedition Act of 1918, which subverted the Bill of Rights, imposed penalties for anti-government expression. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 1 July 2026 Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith’s screenplay is littered with exaggerated stereotypes just waiting to be boisterously subverted. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 June 2026 One day after Zendaya subverted her usual high-fashion fare by wearing a $35 T-shirt from eBay, the 29-year-old actress dipped into a different type of archive on June 25. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 25 June 2026 But Raman — whose husband is veteran 30 Rock writer and producer Vali Chandrasekaran — has quietly subverted her showy target in a way befitting that series. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026 Last year, the struggle ended—or, at least, got subverted. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 26 May 2026 New York Tendaberry, released in the fall of 1969, mostly consists of Nyro alone at the piano, delivering songs that eschewed and subverted most of the characteristics that had won her attention and adoration throughout the preceding decade. — Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 24 May 2026 Kardashian subverted expectations at the 2021 Met Gala by arriving in a face-covering body stocking by Balenciaga. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 There are parts of his past that he’s really subverted, some quite painful but undeniable on his part. — John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverted
  1. corrupted
  2. degraded
  3. weakened
  4. perverted
  5. deteriorated
  6. humiliated
  7. poisoned
  8. destroyed
Verb
  • The unsightly mushroom could have corrupted her maids’ morals, or even their health.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
  • If religion is corrupted by breaking down the wall of separation, much the same is true of the state.
    — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of corrupted
Verb
  • Perhaps, then, what captivates us is a kind of redemption story—the seductive idea that technology can not only repair nature but absolve us for having degraded it.
    — Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026
  • Israel’s military campaigns have significantly degraded Hezbollah, while public opinion in Lebanon has increasingly turned against the group, blaming it for repeatedly dragging the country into unnecessary wars.
    — Anthony Wanis-St John, The Conversation, 10 July 2026
Definition of degraded
Verb
  • Some frogs may have been sleeping, weakened, injured, or otherwise compromised before being captured.
    — Jay Kakade July 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026
  • Most people who are exposed to Legionella bacteria don’t get sick at all, but vulnerable groups can include people who are over 50, who vape or smoke, or who have weakened immune systems or underlying health conditions like diabetes or lung disease.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • More important to Bernstein is what that lust reveals about her characters’ deepest needs, specifically how their need to care and be cared for can be as easily perverted as any other form of desire.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
  • Georgia Bernstein’s unsettling directorial debut focuses on how warped and perverted those desires become when they’re taken to their insatiable extremes.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of perverted
Verb
  • The relationship between Cassidy and Kennedy has deteriorated after Cassidy criticized Kennedy’s vaccine policies.
    — Helen Branswell, STAT, 15 July 2026
  • What began as a low-level juvenile case became five years in secure custody as his behavior deteriorated and new charges accumulated.
    — Christina Buttons, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • Israel must leave humiliated and defeated — and that is exactly what will happen.
    — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 26 June 2026
  • The novel follows 16-year-old Abby, who is left humiliated after a private photo gets shared around school.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026
Definition of humiliated
Verb
  • But is there any guarantee that Francesco was not also poisoned?
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Michael seemed to be saying that by admitting her dishonesty, Ethel would have ruined their childhood and poisoned any prospect of a future relationship with her.
    — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of poisoned
Verb
  • One residence was damaged and a minor structure was destroyed, according to an incident update.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • After powerful twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela and destroyed their home in the coastal town of Caraballeda last month, Maria and her brother Damian, 13, were taken in by their aunt, Mercedes Osul.
    — Osmary Hernández, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of destroyed

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Cite this Entry

“Subverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverted. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of subverted for Spanish Speakers

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