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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
Christ reduced to a potato chip, debased and vilified like two thousand years ago.
—
Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
After the second-longest bout of hyperinflation on record anywhere (with 45 months in hyperinflationary conditions between 2017 and 2021), the government is preparing to further debase the bolivar, the nation’s ailing currency.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2021
By that time – perhaps only a decade from now, perhaps longer – the dollar may have been debased so badly that one bitcoin might be priced at $1 trillion or more.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for debase
Harper's Magazine, 2 July 2024
After the second-longest bout of hyperinflation on record anywhere (with 45 months in hyperinflationary conditions between 2017 and 2021), the government is preparing to further debase the bolivar, the nation’s ailing currency.
—Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2021
By that time – perhaps only a decade from now, perhaps longer – the dollar may have been debased so badly that one bitcoin might be priced at $1 trillion or more.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 24 Nov. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Israeli forces began military ground operations in Gaza, particularly the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in an effort to degrade the terror group's infrastructure, authorities said Thursday.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
20 Mar. 2025
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And even roofs that are still relatively young may begin to show signs of weakness — the sealant that holds asphalt shingles in place often begins to degrade after a decade and can fail when pummeled with high winds.—
Ron Lieber,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Remember, Trump kicked off his political career by claiming Obama wasn't born here, and reportedly decided to run for president only after Obama humiliated him to his face at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2011.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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In addition to the City of Hartford and Hartford School Board, the complaint named Tilda Santiago, a special education case manager who allegedly repeatedly bullied and harassed Ortiz by yelling and humiliating the teen in front of other students and teachers.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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When that was challenged, whether by a game developer subverting industry norms or a woman calling out stereotypical female characters, a core contingent of gamers saw it as political correctness run amok, Massanari wrote in her book.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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As the Department of Government Efficiency roars through agencies across government, its targets have included some of the organizations that Beijing worried about most, or actively sought to subvert.—
David E. Sanger,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Influencers and consumers alike took to platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to discredit the brand and show their support for competitors such as Olipop.—
John Hall,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Roberts had been a judge for only about two years when he was nominated for the Supreme Court, so his judicial record was quite thin, and some Democrats and their allies hoped to point to his work as a lawyer to discredit him.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The doctor added that recovery would best continue away from the hospital, where exposure to viruses risks weakening the Holy Father's condition.—
Danielle Wallace,
Fox News,
22 Mar. 2025
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Seth Jones, president of the defense and security department of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says a trade war that punishes U.S. partners in the region threatens to weaken ties with Asian allies, possibly forcing them to reassess the reliability of U.S. security commitments.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This is the record business of half a century ago; demeaning slurs are tossed around.—
Ian Frazier,
The New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2025
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He is wearied but stays firm in the notion that his job isn’t to badger and demean the half of the country that disagrees with him.—
Ismail Muhammad,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Since signing with New Orleans in 2023, he’s mustered just a .500 record across 27 starts with injuries and inconsistent play corrupting his tenure with the team.—
Kambui Bomani,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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The 12-page document further claims WWE has a pattern of corrupting officials in several states and that the TKO merger was an attempt to bypass legal liabilities, without providing concrete examples.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But as commercialization took hold, the event metastasized into a pit of hard drugs, drunkenness, and debauch a world apart from its bohemian origins.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
17 Mar. 2025
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In season two, when Mike White’s series decamped to Sicily, the credits riffed on Italian frescoes that got increasingly debauched — with a beat drop from opera to EDM.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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