Definition of vulgarizenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  • Skype was founded in 2003 to popularize video call technology.
    Oscar Täckström, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
  • Remember, this is the same woman who helped popularize the platinum mini classics that broke ankles for multiple winter seasons.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Symptoms such as hot flashes and mood changes are well known, and often stereotyped, but experts worldwide want to highlight that women face a huge range of changes to their bodies during the menopause – and lack of awareness means many will start experiencing symptoms without knowing why.
    Sashikala VP, CNN Money, 4 Dec. 2025
  • 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
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
  • In a perfect world, your personal life wouldn’t seep into your job, but also, a perfect world seems boring.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
  • These days, the aviary houses parakeets that are mostly rejects from friends whose kids got bored with them.
    Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Vulgarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vulgarize. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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