1
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
They are also linked to U.S. aims of degrading Iran's proxies in the region and send a message to Tehran at a time the United States is threatening to strike its nuclear program.
—
Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Government lawyers argue that Meta's services have degraded in quality in part because of its dominant position in the marketplace.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
According to the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Without continuous oversight and retraining, AI can stagnate, reinforce errors or even degrade in accuracy over time.
—Ivana Johnston, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Government lawyers argue that Meta's services have degraded in quality in part because of its dominant position in the marketplace.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 13 Apr. 2025
According to the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Without continuous oversight and retraining, AI can stagnate, reinforce errors or even degrade in accuracy over time.
—Ivana Johnston, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.—
Liz Weston,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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The field for the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby was reduced to 19 by Friday after two horses were scratched with potential complications, including one colt trained by legendary trainer Bob Baffert.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Verb
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That volume is masking deteriorating demand from key sectors - particularly domestic manufacturing, which drives more than 60% of big rig ton miles, and ocean imports.—
Lisa Baertlein,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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Armed violence fuels nutrition crisis for Haitian families Famine is looming in Haiti as violence between armed groups continues, alongside extreme poverty and a deteriorating economy.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Shawn reluctantly agrees, but is humiliated when Cory starts acting corny around his friend Gambling Dan (Phil Buckman), and his lackey, Louie (Weiss).—
EW.com,
EW.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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He must be seen standing up to foreign oppressors who seek to humiliate China and thwart its rightful rise.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Politicized Prosecutions: Martin has reshaped the office to reflect Trump’s priorities, firing or demoting prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and targeting Trump’s critics with legal threats.—
Jeremy Kohler,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 2025
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Jose Miranda summons his inner ‘Hamilton’ After getting demoted to the minors, Lin-Manuel Miranda's cousin became an early leader in our annual Injury of the Year competition.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Crucially, this emerging capability to emulate human thought–like behaviors does not confirm or discredit chatbot consciousness.—
Susan Schneider,
Scientific American,
1 May 2025
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Elon Musk also shared one portraying Harris discrediting her own credentials.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Employing nostalgic tropes as embodied by Orbison’s songs subverts those movies from their own cinematic tradition, thus marking a departure from standard film noir.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
3 May 2025
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His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Verb
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O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Punk proceeded to beatdown and embarrass McIntyre, leading to Priest cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and winning the title from McIntyre.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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