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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degrade
Strong currents, wave action, and relatively coarse sediment help oxygen to mix into the water and sediments, which helps the fuel to degrade more quickly.
—
Lauren Lowman, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2025
The body degrades creatine, turning it into creatinine.
—Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 13 Mar. 2025
However, benzoyl peroxide can degrade into the carcinogen benzene at high temperatures or from UV exposure.
—Amber Brenza, Health, 12 Mar. 2025
Most microplastics are made on land, where larger plastic debris degrades into tinier and tinier pieces.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Lauren Lowman, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2025
The body degrades creatine, turning it into creatinine.
—Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 13 Mar. 2025
However, benzoyl peroxide can degrade into the carcinogen benzene at high temperatures or from UV exposure.
—Amber Brenza, Health, 12 Mar. 2025
Most microplastics are made on land, where larger plastic debris degrades into tinier and tinier pieces.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degrade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrade
Verb
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These layoffs reduced staffing at some local weather forecast offices to threadbare levels, causing some to reduce their services.—
Andrew Freedman,
Axios,
17 Mar. 2025
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The deregulation isn’t about reducing spending or identifying waste and fraud, Shore said.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Seeing Postecoglou snap at such a mild remark demonstrated how much the Australian’s relationship with the fans has deteriorated.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Wood shelves in dry food storage area were deteriorated.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
21 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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Brigid got demoted by the Pope back in 1969, because there was not sufficient proof of her existence.—
Mary Norris,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
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Trump's speech Friday comes as his administration has spent the last several weeks trying to reconfigure the Justice Department, including demoting attorneys who worked on cases related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and firing officials who investigated the president himself.—
Deepa Shivaram,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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President Trump on Tuesday escalated his campaign to discredit judges who get in his way, calling on Congress to impeach the judge at the center of a legal fight over the deportation of hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
18 Mar. 2025
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More often than not these spins have one end goal: to dismiss or discredit someone or something.—
Lucy Dolan-Zalaznick,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Another artist new to me was Summer Wheat at the Nazarian/Curcio booth whose paintings subvert traditional representation of women and look like textiles but is actually paint applied through a rigorous process.—
Tom Teicholz,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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In the past decade, some liberals and progressives have ignored or even worked to subvert free-speech norms, a matter that has been extensively covered in the press.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Get okay with the idea that in the future, your past work will embarrass you.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Other times, the film feels too coy, as if embarrassed by itself.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
8 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degrade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degrade. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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