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
Tariffs, conquests; all are subverted to this man’s ego.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Start watching this Adult Swim original for the subverted Back to the Future vibes, but don't expect McDonald's to bring back their Szechuan sauce anytime soon.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
By delegitimizing the Islamic Republic as an occupying force—one that plunders national wealth to subsidize regional proxies—the opposition has effectively subverted the regime’s nationalist rhetoric.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
At the 2025 Emmys in September, the actress subverted the event's formal dress code, opting for straight-leg blue jeans and a white T-shirt, adding a pair of black flats, a belt and sunglasses.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
Yet, as second wave feminism took root in the 1960s, many women seized on broom-riding witches as heroes who subverted ideas of domesticity.
—Time, 21 Nov. 2025
However, it’s massively subverted expectation - and that’s an understatement.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Details on how the administration has subverted health spending have received little attention because many changes have been made quietly -- and people who rely on federal funds fear retribution.
—Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
But Larry, a true cynic, was stuck in a different time, gagged and bound by a tireless insistence on creating art that subverted and satirized those same good old-fashioned family values.
—Michael Cuby, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Start watching this Adult Swim original for the subverted Back to the Future vibes, but don't expect McDonald's to bring back their Szechuan sauce anytime soon.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Jan. 2026
By delegitimizing the Islamic Republic as an occupying force—one that plunders national wealth to subsidize regional proxies—the opposition has effectively subverted the regime’s nationalist rhetoric.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
At the 2025 Emmys in September, the actress subverted the event's formal dress code, opting for straight-leg blue jeans and a white T-shirt, adding a pair of black flats, a belt and sunglasses.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
Yet, as second wave feminism took root in the 1960s, many women seized on broom-riding witches as heroes who subverted ideas of domesticity.
—Time, 21 Nov. 2025
However, it’s massively subverted expectation - and that’s an understatement.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Details on how the administration has subverted health spending have received little attention because many changes have been made quietly -- and people who rely on federal funds fear retribution.
—Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
But Larry, a true cynic, was stuck in a different time, gagged and bound by a tireless insistence on creating art that subverted and satirized those same good old-fashioned family values.
—Michael Cuby, Them., 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverted
Verb
-
Tracy Anderson believes most people today have had their attention spans hijacked by social media and their perception of beauty corrupted by trends.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
His mind is warped, his sense of morality corrupted.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Infrastructure in Venezuela is severely degraded, and any meaningful revival would likely require more than $100 billion in investment over a decade.—
Amena Bakr,
semafor.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The system degraded exactly as predicted.—
Staff report,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Demand weakened most sharply in Europe.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In Lebanon, the once formidable Hezbollah has been significantly weakened after 13 months of conflict with Israel and now faces a domestic disarmament campaign.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Murry corrupted and perverted and destroyed Katherine both as a person and a writer […] Her gifts were those of an intense realist, with a superb sense of ironic humour and fundamental cynicism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
-
Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The relationship further deteriorated after Buss reportedly felt that James wasn’t appreciative of the team’s efforts to bring his son, Bronny, on board, according to the report.—
Janis Carr,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
As a result, my health deteriorated, and my family life suffered.—
Dr. Shaoqing Sun,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During the flight, she’s thoroughly humiliated when someone finds her audition tape for Survivor and displays it on his laptop for all to enjoy.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
-
My interrogator beat me, humiliated me, and repeatedly threatened to arrest my family and friends.—
Omid Memarian,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors allege Richins poisoned her husband with a cocktail laced with illicit fentanyl while the couple was celebrating at their home in March 2022.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In early 2025, Milwaukee discovered that lead paint had poisoned at least four students in its public schools.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Well, Federer just destroyed him — 6-1, 6-4 in about 50 minutes — and that left a lot of time to fill.—
Patrick McEnroe,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The fire killed two people, destroyed 1,084 homes and businesses and did more than $2 billion in property damage.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverted. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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