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
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Recent Examples of subverted
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
Whenever his work started to become familiar to his viewers, Chan subverted expectations and made something new.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
The series offered a look at Mormon moms in Utah that subverted viewers’ expectations.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Republicans and Democrats, left and right—both are being subverted by anti-Semitism within.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
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
Whenever his work started to become familiar to his viewers, Chan subverted expectations and made something new.
—Dawn Chan, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
The series offered a look at Mormon moms in Utah that subverted viewers’ expectations.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Republicans and Democrats, left and right—both are being subverted by anti-Semitism within.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverted
Verb
-
Others have argued against the premise of the rules altogether, disputing the assertion that the City Council is being, or could be, corrupted by outside money.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
Systems must remain safe not only when components fail naturally, but when data is corrupted, communication is interrupted or execution is violated.—
John Wall,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The norms, international reputational concerns, and fear of sanctions which encourage compliance with international law are likely to be degraded when the world’s superpower behaves lawlessly.—
BRIAN FINUCANE,
Foreign Affairs,
26 Nov. 2025
-
If your sensing is degraded, your ability to make out information about your environment is degraded.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Since the start of the Iran war, the Indian currency has weakened against the dollar, partly due to the country's rising energy import bill.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
-
Since taking office in October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto has weakened the institutional guardrails that once constrained fiscal expansion and protected central‑bank independence.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
This quality has been perverted and exaggerated in Maddie’s Secret.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
11 June 2026
-
The Constitution has been perverted in ways by administrations on both sides of the aisle to facilitate military action.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Javen didn’t seem to mind that mental image, and things deteriorated quickly.—
Laura Bradley,
Vulture,
20 Aug. 2025
-
But the nature of the doc evolved as Osbourne’s health deteriorated in the final years of his life.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
There’s the stepover loved by the two Ronaldos (Cristiano and Nazario, the original from Brazil), the two-touch turn that took off on a video game, and the hocus pocus skill that humiliated one Brazil legend and earned another a free meal.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Bryan’s stumbling responses, under questioning from the legendary defense lawyer Clarence Darrow, left him humiliated.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Last year, harmful algae blooming off Southern California poisoned hundreds of dolphins and sea lions off Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, causing strandings along popular beaches.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
15 June 2026
-
The incident saw former Russian military officer and British intelligence services double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia poisoned in Salisbury, England.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The fire burned more than 60 acres and destroyed several structures, including homes, according to CBS Los Angeles.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
More than 400 were destroyed in accordance with nuclear arms treaty agreements.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverted. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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