1
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the view that such a system degrades doctors to the status of medical employees who ultimately are not in charge of their patients' health care
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2
as in to deteriorate
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume
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3
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
the players degraded themselves with their crude antics off the field
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
While charging, some polysulfides would migrate back to the cathode, but not all, degrading the battery very quickly.
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New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2024
Pacesetting – focused on hitting targets This style can also be useful short term and can degrade workplace climate and performance longer term by feeling like an endless treadmill.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
After being blindsided by Hamas’s heinous attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have, during more than a year of intense operations in Gaza, laid waste to its command structure and almost completely degraded its capabilities.
—Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2024
He’s widely seen as an interloper, a clown, disrupting and degrading a sport that’s supposed to be meritocratic.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degrade 
New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2024
Pacesetting – focused on hitting targets This style can also be useful short term and can degrade workplace climate and performance longer term by feeling like an endless treadmill.
—Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
After being blindsided by Hamas’s heinous attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have, during more than a year of intense operations in Gaza, laid waste to its command structure and almost completely degraded its capabilities.
—Shalom Lipner, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2024
He’s widely seen as an interloper, a clown, disrupting and degrading a sport that’s supposed to be meritocratic.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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His overall demands have reduced, however, realising a less intense approach could help offset the risk of player burnout.Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
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Westmore Beauty’s 60-Second Eye Effects Gel Duo promises to instantly reduce the appearance of signs of aging around your eyes.Taylor Lane, Flow Space, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
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After civil war broke out in 2011, the Syrian economy deteriorated.Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2024
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Conditions had deteriorated overnight when the roof of a nearby mine collapsed.Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 6 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
Verb
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Trouba has struggled this season with just six points in 24 games and was demoted to a third-pair defenseman.Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024
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Some in Trump's orbit have floated the idea of demoting or firing Barr, which could lead to a disruptive legal battle.Courtenay Brown, Axios, 4 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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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
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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If two people actually did this on a real-life New Year’s Eve TV show today, the clip would immediately go viral and everyone would be making fun of them on social media with snarky commentary and embarrassing GIFs and a hashtag: #newyearscrazydance.Bob Sassone, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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And then, on this trip in the last several days, living in the shadow of this larger-than-life character and feeling constantly put upon and shamed by him and embarrassed by him.Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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