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
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
The court also found Yoon had subverted the constitutional order and abused his authority by ordering troops to storm parliament and arrest certain individuals including Lee Jae Myung, the liberal opposition leader at the time who is now South Korea’s president.
—Stella Kim, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
In Camps’ hands, a cable or crewneck is never simply just that — there’s a playfulness to her draping and cutouts, subverted by the juxtaposition of gossamer-like fine gauge underpinnings with cozier, enveloping sweaters.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
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
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
The court also found Yoon had subverted the constitutional order and abused his authority by ordering troops to storm parliament and arrest certain individuals including Lee Jae Myung, the liberal opposition leader at the time who is now South Korea’s president.
—Stella Kim, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026
In Camps’ hands, a cable or crewneck is never simply just that — there’s a playfulness to her draping and cutouts, subverted by the juxtaposition of gossamer-like fine gauge underpinnings with cozier, enveloping sweaters.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverted
Verb
-
Because the Republican Party and the conservative movement have both been so deeply corrupted.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But, if the release of the Epstein files has accomplished anything, it’s been to demonstrate how, on both sides of the Atlantic, systems corrupted by money are ripe for reform.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Vinegar can damage some finishes and the protective coating on some wood cabinets may have degraded over time.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
-
An Israeli military campaign in 2024 significantly degraded Hezbollah’s capabilities.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The lower target follows a yearslong property sector slump that sent home prices tumbling, weakened domestic consumption and investment confidence and led to massive job losses.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But Bradost said that the Kurdish parties were open to working with most Iranian political forces—just not the Islamic Republic, which is now too weakened to be a partner, or Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, who has been publicly hostile to the Kurdish parties.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Organized sports can easily be perverted.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some claimed that her mental health had deteriorated.—
Anika Burgess,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The move to change the clock came after relations between the United States and Canada deteriorated.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At one point in his teenage years, Diaz was publicly humiliated by the football team who forcefully shaved his curly hair.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Walz and Ellison were humiliated and could not account for their blundering.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nicholas and three of his playmates at the day care were poisoned by the lethal opioid, which the owners stored in a nap room, officials said.—
Sheetal Banchariya,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Other witnesses could include relatives of the defendant and her late husband, and friends of Eric Richins who have recounted phone conversations from the day prosecutors say he was first poisoned by his wife of nine years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Athens then destroyed Melos and launched the Sicily Expedition with overwhelming force and no coherent theory of governance for what came next.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverted. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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