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
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debase
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
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
See all Example Sentences for debase 
Verb
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
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
See all Example Sentences for debase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debase
Verb
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Keeping your phone fully charged or fully discharging the battery will degrade it slightly faster, and regularly swinging between full and empty will shorten its life.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
19 Jan. 2025
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Moreover, Trump’s penchant for degrading the reputation of those around him will likely frustrate efforts by Vance to re-elevate his office.—
Roy Brownell,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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My neighbor invited me to dinner, then humiliated me in front of the other women Miss Manners: Strangers keep telling me distressing stories.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2025
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The Ravens, particularly bruising runner Derrick Henry, humiliated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.—
Tim Graham,
The Athletic,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Yet the devastation that Israel inflicted on Hezbollah last year, the general degradation of Iran’s militia network, and the failure of Tehran’s strategy of using Arab fighters as a forward defense against Israel and the U.S. were decisive.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2025
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Users could still watch and download videos, but over time, this lack of updates could cause significant degradation of the app’s performance.—
Cherie Brooke Luo,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The former president’s sweeping and even preemptive pardons subvert ongoing legal processes and, therefore, the law.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
21 Jan. 2025
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Israel’s populist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has largely avoided public clashes with the Israel Defense Force’s leadership, but politicians in his orbit have regularly attacked top officers as elites bent on subverting the will of the people.—
Ronald R. Krebs,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Kennedy has already begun to discredit public health measures to counter bird flu.—
Selena Simmons-Duffin,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2025
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Revoking security clearances of Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, and former intelligence officials who signed a letter discrediting the Hunter Biden laptop story.—
Avery Lotz,
Axios,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Although Russia has struggled to embrace startup culture, the big contractors have a stranglehold on the supply process; corruption is endemic, and the military know who to buy from.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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The council has been target of calls for a reconfiguration following its lack of action on the corruption allegations, dissatisfaction with many of its decisions and the escalating gang violence.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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However, critics worry bringing minority parties into the majority tent weakens legislative scrutiny.—
Charlie Campbell,
TIME,
22 Jan. 2025
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Beijing has also been working to repair ties with American allies like Japan to try to weaken the security alliances forged by the Biden administration to constrain China.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
22 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
Thesaurus Entries Near debase
Cite this Entry
“Debase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debase. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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