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
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
The only way to get an exception from the I.D. mandate is to take some kind of debasing job.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024
Yet Kanafani also wants readers to understand that even those who resist may be humiliated and debased.
—Graham Liddell, The Conversation, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for debase 
Verb
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
The only way to get an exception from the I.D. mandate is to take some kind of debasing job.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024
Yet Kanafani also wants readers to understand that even those who resist may be humiliated and debased.
—Graham Liddell, The Conversation, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Hezbollah's military infrastructure has been significantly degraded, and the Lebanese group agreed to a ceasefire with Israel last month under extremely unfavorable terms.Barak Ravid, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, Hamas has been da- -- badly degraded as well.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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To see the reigning English champions humiliated and humbled in such a manner is a very rare event.Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
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Teeny feels humiliated over the fact that Genevieve left her out of the Sol vote, which is more than understandable.Nick Caruso, TVLine, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Our region has been plagued for far too long by foreign interference, wars, sectarian conflicts, terrorism, drug trafficking, water scarcity, refugee crises, and environmental degradation.Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2024
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These novel electrolytes are designed to be much less susceptible to degradation, offering a more stable electrolyte-environment interface.Matthew Dawson, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Christmas entertainment can sometimes be criticized for being treacly and cliché, but The Year Without a Santa Claus subverts those stereotypes with its zany characters, who act in the strange, contradictory ways, like real people do.Victoria Edel, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
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The actress has even subverted expectations with her performances in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006) and as Emily Dickinson in Wild Nights With Emily (2018).EW.com, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Yaeger questioned why Mangum had not come forward earlier or sent apologies directly to the three former lacrosse players, long after her allegations were discredited.Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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This response was a bold, unfiltered counterpunch meant to discredit the lawsuit, take aim at Buzbee, and flip the narrative.Molly McPherson, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The only other president to be successfully impeached was Park Geun-hye, a conservative who left office in 2017 and was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a corruption scandal involving major corporations and the daughter of a cult leader.Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
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In 2016, parliament impeached Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, over a corruption scandal.Kim Tong-Hyung, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Too much water can cause the fibers to weaken, become brittle, and break.Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024
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In addition, hiring has slowed a bit in recent months, raising the risk that the economy could weaken in the coming months.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some of the candidates were more interested in demeaning their opponent rather than discussing their own platform in detail.Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Nov. 2024
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The two musicians released several tunes, with each one aiming to insult and demean the other, while also showcasing the talents of the artist behind the cut. Lamar and Drake both ended up scoring big hits on the Billboard charts with their diss tunes.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near debase
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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