1
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
we debase ourselves when we adopt the moral code and behavior of our despised enemies
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2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
our failure to win a single game completely debased us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the debasement of professional sports to a shamelessly commercial enterprise
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2024
Expanding the Vocabulary With great discipline and sanity, Kamala Harris has been navigating a minefield of Trumpian insults and attempts to debase her.
—Patricia J. Williams, The New York Review of Books, 18 Oct. 2024
Antiestablishment fever has debased policy debate and loosened the checks on executive power that generate consistency.
—Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2020
But as Johnson’s policies in Vietnam provoked rising opposition in the country, factions within the Democratic Party launched a ferocious and debasing assault against his reelection campaign in 1968.
—Lawrence R. Jacobs / Made By History, TIME, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for debase 
Verb
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
Expanding the Vocabulary With great discipline and sanity, Kamala Harris has been navigating a minefield of Trumpian insults and attempts to debase her.
—Patricia J. Williams, The New York Review of Books, 18 Oct. 2024
Antiestablishment fever has debased policy debate and loosened the checks on executive power that generate consistency.
—Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2020
But as Johnson’s policies in Vietnam provoked rising opposition in the country, factions within the Democratic Party launched a ferocious and debasing assault against his reelection campaign in 1968.
—Lawrence R. Jacobs / Made By History, TIME, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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There are a number of ways that these tiny pieces of plastic can become airborne, including from sea spray, textiles sitting in landfills interacting with the wind, degrading tires as people drive, and more.7 Wildfire smoke is another common way people breathe in microplastics, Johnson said.Brian Mastroianni, Health, 7 Jan. 2025
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Alarming figures indicate that 40% of the earth’s land is already degraded, impacting half of the human population and half of the global GDP, underscoring the severity of the challenge faced by communities today.Sanam Mahoozi, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Illinois has the seventh-highest scoring offense in Division I, but was humiliated to 29 percent shooting, and the otherwise-excellent Kasparas Jakučionis had more turnovers (seven) than made baskets (five, on 15 tries).Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
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Over several years, victims were beaten, threatened and humiliated, while perpetrators befriended parents to screen them from the systemic abuse.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Refrigeration can slow down the degradation of certain products, keeping them good-to-use just a little bit longer.Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
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Despite the degradation caused by the passage of time and human activity, investigations enabled the identification of the ship's type, dimensions, construction method, the most likely construction date and remnants of its cargo.Newsweek, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The brand subverts the ideal of regular clothing by selling clothing that has distinct detailing alongside excellent materials.Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 16 Jan. 2025
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Mayes’s request comes as Garland is waging a legal battle to release the portion of Smith’s two-volume final report regarding the special counsel’s findings on Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.Ella Lee, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Beyond her work as a lobbyist, Bondi solidified her reputation as a Trump loyalist by defending him on the floor of the Senate during his first impeachment and helping his efforts to discredit the 2020 election results.Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 15 Jan. 2025
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The AfD has strongly rejected the designation, portraying it as a political attempt to discredit the party.Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The first is Sweeney Todd — an interesting choice, seeing as Stephen Sondheim’s cannibalistic tale explores themes of political corruption and the destructive forces of free markets.Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025
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The committee identified graft and corruption, inefficiencies and waste.Bruce W. Dearstyne / Made by History, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The widening yield differentials between Chinese and U.S. sovereign bonds could risk encouraging capital outflows and put further pressure on the yuan that has been weakening against the greenback.Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
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Elon Musk, one of Trump’s confidants, has already met with Iran’s UN ambassador; now that Israel has weakened Tehran and pummeled its proxies in the Middle East, a diplomatic breakthrough may be achievable.Charles A. Kupchan, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The woman attempted to laugh it off, but her partner continued to demean her.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
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It’s come to signify the experience of being belittled or demeaned by one's parents, in some cases even physically abused.Leslie Katz, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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