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 David Radcliff’s work crosses genres and formats, but his favorite projects are those that broaden understanding and empathy through humor and subverted expectations. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 The familiarity of Havaianas is subverted thanks to MM6 with two unique expressions. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026 The decision to launch a separate block of programming aimed at those viewers, filled with raunchy cartoons that actively subverted nostalgia and violent anime that couldn’t be shown during daytime hours, was logical. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026 Laws and elections can quickly shift the balance of power in the game, and the rules can be subverted or twisted to your advantage through the deft deployment of crushing bureaucracy. — Alan Bradley, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026 That's because when the stakes are high, and the actors begin to cry, the serious tone begs to be subverted by a humorous caption. — Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 What could be a stock campus ice-queen role is subverted throughout the season, through the empathy for the character that courses through her performance. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 27 July 2026 Ireland sought to slow down the match but New Zealand subverted that tactic, forcing turnovers and kicking only sparingly. — ABC News, 18 July 2026 The Sedition Act of 1918, which subverted the Bill of Rights, imposed penalties for anti-government expression. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverted
  1. corrupted
  2. degraded
  3. weakened
  4. perverted
  5. deteriorated
  6. humiliated
  7. poisoned
  8. destroyed
Verb
  • At every stop, Talarico has argued that, for too long, the wealthy and their donations have corrupted politics, and that this corruption has fueled the affordability crisis.
    — STEVEN SLOAN, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • And that includes his warning that TV news has been corrupted by the agendas of the powerful, wealthy billionaires who now control a large portion of the media.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupted
Verb
  • People, information, data, know-how, infrastructure, suppliers and technology are suddenly unavailable or badly degraded.
    — Bojan Ilic, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The durability of these chemicals means they won’t be degraded during the manufacturing process, which can involve hundreds or even thousands of steps.
    — Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of degraded
Verb
  • After the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, Alabama Republicans redrew Shomari Figures’ district, cutting its Black voting-age population from 48% to 40%.
    — Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Eisenkot's allies could also try to reverse legislation advanced by Netanyahu's government that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions and judicial independence.
    — Itay Stern, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakened
Verb
  • The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The four Egyptians were never formally notified of the charges and never appeared in court, an anomaly that their lawyers said perverted the course of the trial.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of perverted
Verb
  • The restoration team replaced the building’s roof and windows, which had deteriorated over years of neglect.
    — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The dominance of drone warfare in this conflict makes aboveground travel extremely dangerous, and services and supplies have deteriorated sharply since May.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Packers come off an angry loss while the Panthers were humiliated on Sunday.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of humiliated
Verb
  • Morison’s followers called themselves Hygeists and attacked physicians as a monopoly that bled and poisoned its patients, which was not inaccurate in the 1830s.
    — Jim Downs, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Two young men were arraigned Wednesday for fentanyl distribution conspiracy after a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology was fatally poisoned and another nearly died.
    — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of poisoned
Verb
  • Both the rocket and the camera were destroyed after crashing into the Earth at a speed of about 340 miles per hour.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroyed

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subverted
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Cite this Entry

“Subverted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverted. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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