as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste
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Recent Examples of bastardize
Over the years, though, the cocktail has become bastardized into a sugary drink containing all sorts of fruit juices and sweeteners, causing it to be denegrated alongside the likes of Long Island Ice Teas and Strawberry Daiquiris.
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Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023
These white people in blackface entertained the masses with stereotypes of Blackness, bastardizing the Black identity in the process.
—Tayo Bero, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023
Society, this week, also bastardized two wholesome childhood fixtures, SunnyD and Girl Scout Cookies.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 10 Mar. 2023
What does a profession license mean if you’re allowed to bastardize the court system that way.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2020
Videos that bastardize neighborhood names, or cluelessly treat storied establishments like new discoveries.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2022
To bastardize the bands Pablo Cruise or Yes, love will always find a way.
—Outside Online, 13 Feb. 2021
As a carcass decomposes, the bacteria in the body itself runs rampant, producing its signature stink and bastardizing the soil’s microbiome.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 21 Jan. 2020
The initial fear that the band was going to make a killing on wading-pool-deep music and basically bastardize country music was way off-base.
—Chuck Yarborough, cleveland, 8 Jan. 2020
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2023
These white people in blackface entertained the masses with stereotypes of Blackness, bastardizing the Black identity in the process.
—Tayo Bero, refinery29.com, 4 Apr. 2023
Society, this week, also bastardized two wholesome childhood fixtures, SunnyD and Girl Scout Cookies.
—Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 10 Mar. 2023
What does a profession license mean if you’re allowed to bastardize the court system that way.
—Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2020
Videos that bastardize neighborhood names, or cluelessly treat storied establishments like new discoveries.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2022
To bastardize the bands Pablo Cruise or Yes, love will always find a way.
—Outside Online, 13 Feb. 2021
As a carcass decomposes, the bacteria in the body itself runs rampant, producing its signature stink and bastardizing the soil’s microbiome.
—Matt Simon, Wired, 21 Jan. 2020
The initial fear that the band was going to make a killing on wading-pool-deep music and basically bastardize country music was way off-base.
—Chuck Yarborough, cleveland, 8 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardize
Verb
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As the city's highway infrastructure degrades with age, the local group is advocating for a future rebuild that would better connect the neighborhoods surrounding the highway and improve drivers' commutes.Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
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Bras made from cotton or wool are more sustainable and degrade much faster.Julia Ries, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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René Magritte is best known for his Surrealist masterpieces like The Son of Man (1964), which bend reality and subvert expectations.Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
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Because of the decentralized electoral system, an individual state does have the power to delay or subvert the process of appointing electors—perhaps by alleging voting irregularities—even in the event of a clear popular-vote victory for a certain candidate in that state.Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Instructed by Khamenei to go after Iran’s unscrupulous and less Islamist leaders, the organization’s younger corps naturally began attacking some of its oligarchs, accusing them of being corrupted by financial interests and of being too timid in their dealings with the West.Saeid Golkar, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
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When confronted further about the Big Lie that also finds a fertile home on social media platforms, Vance declined to respond to questions about the validity of Trump’s loss, instead saying Democrats were hypocrites in claiming Russian ads corrupted the results of 2016.Philip Elliott, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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This liquidity dilutes the value of the U.S. dollar, whose purchasing power and store of wealth are pushed down considerably.Billy Bambrough, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Contrary to the customary fashion photos of that time that diluted the innovation and the technical skills of haute couture, Kublin shot images that magnified Balenciga’s expertise.Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Then, last year, the 49ers humiliated Dallas by the score of 42-10 at home.Vincent Frank, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
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Shaking down Bodhi, killing some bikers, jokingly humiliating his ex-girlfriend on the witness stand — less than ideal, but nothing you’re not supposed to be able to live with.Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Bitcoin’s edge over gold lies in its unparalleled scarcity and technological attributes—a mix between a tech stock and gold that cannot be debased and can settle globally in minutes.Ansel Lindner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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Trump was really at that Buck’s County McDonald’s, debasing himself for swing-state votes in the same way that candidates have for generations (see: Rick Perry eating a corn dog in 2011).Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Approximately 40 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was first reported at 11:43 a.m., destroyed one building, damaged at least three others, and downed utility wires along 17th Street.Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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The fire destroyed an apartment building near Ammons Street and West 12th Avenue, killing two cats and displacing four people, according to West Metro Fire Rescue.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near bastardize
Cite this Entry
“Bastardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardize. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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