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as in to popularize
to use so much as to make less appealing the composer's masterpiece has been hopelessly vulgarized by its use in countless TV commercials

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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 vulgarize His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions. BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019 Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent. Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vulgarize
Verb
  • At the same time, his friend John Martin of Smirnoff vodka was desperate to popularize vodka in America.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The influential music star, born Michael D’Angelo Archer, is credited with helping popularize neo-soul — a genre of modern R&B and soul flavored with hip-hop, funk, rock and other influences.
    Melinda Yao, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Among many challenges, the next president of the church will navigate how to lead a global church from its American headquarters – a church that continues to be misunderstood and stereotyped, sometimes to the point of violence.
    Brittany Romanello, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025
  • That absence increases the risk of caricature and stereotyping in AI image outputs of the Black community.
    Donnetta Monk, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Shea butter and cocoa butter are thick and great ingredients that generally can’t be overused.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • However, both can cause side effects if overused.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If there's too much ambient light, night mode might let in too much and overexpose your photos.
    Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Unfortunately, Showgirl is the sound of an overworked and overexposed entertainer reaching the mountaintop to find something worse than disappointment: burnout.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His certainly-not-boring tale mortified numerous colleagues, including Crick, who even tried to block the book's publication.
    Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
  • This solid colored wool rug was the perfect neutral-but-not-boring option to balance out the space between visuals editor Lizzie Soufleris’ living room and dining area.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vulgarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgarize. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.

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