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Synonym Chooser

How is the word vitiate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of vitiate are corrupt, debase, debauch, deprave, and pervert. While all these words mean "to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character," vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.

a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship

When can corrupt be used instead of vitiate?

In some situations, the words corrupt and vitiate are roughly equivalent. However, corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity.

the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language

When is it sensible to use debase instead of vitiate?

While the synonyms debase and vitiate are close in meaning, debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity.

commercialism has debased the holiday

When would debauch be a good substitute for vitiate?

The synonyms debauch and vitiate are sometimes interchangeable, but debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence.

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew

When could deprave be used to replace vitiate?

The words deprave and vitiate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences.

the claim that society is depraved by pornography

When might pervert be a better fit than vitiate?

The words pervert and vitiate can be used in similar contexts, but pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal.

perverted the original goals of the institute

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 vitiate Just as Sadat’s Jerusalem journey shocked the Carter administration out of its misguided approach, a public rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia may be the only move that could both mitigate and possibly even vitiate U.S.-Iranian negotiations. Gabriel Scheinmann, Foreign Affairs, 17 May 2015 Obviously this does not vitiate the whole enterprise of poetry. Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025 Such words are verbal roadblocks that not only vitiate the meaning of your message but worse, obscure its clarity. Jerry Weissman, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 Older now, and vitiated by the injuries sustained during the attempt on his life, Sliwa was nonetheless imposing. Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vitiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitiate
Verb
  • Since Do’s bribery scandal emerged, the county ordered a forensic audit of contracts he was involved with to see if more might be tainted.
    Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Moreover, any political revisions of employment numbers long accepted as accurate by key users will taint confidence in other data series.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Boston comes in with three straight losses marring otherwise agreeable vibes.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Many worried that the marshy western shore of the borough had been forever marred.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Although Israel did not fully eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities, its air campaign delayed, degraded, and deterred Iran’s ambitions, and further transformed the Middle East’spolitical landscape.
    DAVID A. DEPTULA, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2025
  • They are also believed to degrade water quality, which can hurt sensitive organisms like freshwater mussels.
    Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • With Ter Stegen injured and the returning Wojciech Szczesny not yet registered either, having signed a new contract in July after his initial short-term from last September expired.
    Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Three officers were shot and injured while responding to domestic disturbance call at a residence in Utah, law enforcement said.
    Jessica Gorman, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • For Trump, whose political brand has long relied on projecting authenticity to his base, a sustained decline in honesty ratings could weaken his ability to roll out his agenda.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
  • This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.
    Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • One variation poisoned the 1930s: a country would devalue its currency to supposedly gain a competitive advantage against its trading partners.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • According to physicians, a 60-year-old man with no prior psychiatric or medical history arrived at their hospital’s emergency room claiming a neighbor poisoned him.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Hailey has an even rarer type of the illness, an extreme form of hemophilia B. That means bleeding inside his body could damage organs or tissue and quickly put his life at risk.
    Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vitiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitiate. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

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