as in to humiliate
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
being deprived of clothes dehumanized the prisoners
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Recent Examples of dehumanize
To strip her name from her and contort it into a term that is most often used to degrade artists who look like her is simply dehumanizing.
—
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
Mukherjee explained in a phone interview that these pieces were intended to be satire on how technology is dehumanizing humans.
—Riddhi Doshi, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
How does expulsion dehumanize and what kinds of lives can be shaped in spite of chronic itineracy?
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2025
As with all wars, propaganda based on lies and exaggerations has permeated the media to dehumanize our enemy.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Feb. 2025
Mukherjee explained in a phone interview that these pieces were intended to be satire on how technology is dehumanizing humans.
—Riddhi Doshi, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
How does expulsion dehumanize and what kinds of lives can be shaped in spite of chronic itineracy?
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2025
As with all wars, propaganda based on lies and exaggerations has permeated the media to dehumanize our enemy.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanize
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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On the page, Serafina is an archetypical Williams heroine — a woman who feels the world too deeply and is therefore brutalized by its harsh truths and petty cruelties (e.g. Maggie the Cat, Blanche DuBois, Amanda Wingfield).—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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The Fed’s aggressive rate hikes brutalized any poor soul lugging a big balance.—
Nerdwallet,
Twin Cities,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The invisible, odorless gas is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, killing more than 400 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2025
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Thousands each year are shot, poisoned to suffer, and trapped legally.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanize. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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