1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
overuse has devitalized many a once-striking figure of speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
she was devitalized by the infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devitalize
This can devitalize the plant to the point of it starting to die back.
—
oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023
Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
His lip was completely destroyed with multiple linear lacerations, jagged lacerations, devitalized tissue, denervated tissue with a 12 cm laceration in multiple pieces of the entire left upper lift, the mucosal surface, and orbicularis.
—Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 1 June 2017
oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023
Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
His lip was completely destroyed with multiple linear lacerations, jagged lacerations, devitalized tissue, denervated tissue with a 12 cm laceration in multiple pieces of the entire left upper lift, the mucosal surface, and orbicularis.
—Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 1 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalize
Verb
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This feels eerily similar to when Trump cut a deal with the Taliban while excluding the Afghan government—undermining their legitimacy and paving the way for disaster.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
17 Feb. 2025
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But the meeting itself provided legitimacy to far-right politicians pushing for a Christian state and undermined U.S. foreign policy, experts and officials said.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
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Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The swamp is not being drained; it’s being filled with more water than the Panama Canal.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2025
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Patrick Reed drained a hole-in-one at the 'Watering Hole,' which sent fans into a frenzy.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That helps to soften some of the graphic imagery, but the director says his primary intent was to allow viewers to experience the perspectives of kids.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2025
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Following weeks of negotiations, during which DeSantis seemed to soften his attacks on the lawmakers who opposed his plans, the governor signed the sweeping package of immigration laws on February 13.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Cowboys seem to be more concerned about the possibility of cap hell than exhausting every last resource to win now.—
Jon Machota,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
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The bar does not take action in a case until the appeals process is exhausted, a spokesperson said.—
Gary Klien,
The Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That’s so her milk won’t be wasted nursing her children.—
Michael Freeman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
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Nearly half of digital investment is wasted due to misalignments between business and tech teams.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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He was petrified by the thought of dying of cancer or some other disease whose senselessness disgusted him.—
Ian Buruma,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
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Medusa was known in ancient Greece for petrifying anyone who dared to look her in the eye, and has been seen as a personification of madness.—
Sarah Belmont,
ARTnews.com,
17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.—
Cameron Hilditch,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2021
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The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.—
Teo Bugbee,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Devitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalize. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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