debases

verb

present tense third-person singular of debase
1
as in degrades
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 humiliates
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debases In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 In a new Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the composer behind the HBO show’s memorable soundtrack described an industry that debases its own art and the people who make it for the sake of consumerism. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026 Freddy Krueger debases the suburban American ideal through the dreams of teenagers in Nightmare on Elm Street. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debases
  1. degrades
  2. humiliates
  3. weakens
  4. discredits
  5. corrupts
  6. embarrasses
  7. subverts
  8. demeans
Verb
  • The team also did impedance measurements to find out how fast the protection degrades.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Because the watermark degrades with more thorough editing or in shorter samples of text, its usefulness may also be uneven depending on the department or assignment.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrades
Verb
  • Filming a scene in which Isaiah humiliates Cam, Withers asked Wayans to crack jokes about Kionte’s death — the defining event of Withers’ life, and his lowest point.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Diomande just humiliates fullbacks.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 12 June 2026
Definition of humiliates
Verb
  • Siegel noted that measles weakens the immune system and increases the risk of pneumonia, which can stem from measles itself or from a secondary bacterial infection.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Employment has been a mostly resilient area of the economy even as stubborn inflation continues to squeeze businesses and households, while consumer confidence weakens.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakens
Verb
  • The praiseworthyness of having both sides of the debate evaporates when the host actively discredits the expert and reflexively enhances the legitimacy of the conspiracy theorist.
    — Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Yet despite its popularity, research discredits this long-standing belief.
    — Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Definition of discredits
Verb
  • Forgetting his bond with the land, Mariano awakens the Ch’iqmi, a dark force that corrupts his people.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 25 June 2026
  • One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of corrupts
Verb
  • Graft inquiry embarrasses Zelensky Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office said in a Telegram announcement that the investigation into Yermak is ongoing.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
  • Now the technology embarrasses an umpire even more than a player could, and what’s the recourse?
    — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of embarrasses
Verb
  • Psycho playfully subverts expectations and rejects structural norms to deliver one of the most surprising thrillers ever committed to film.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Seen through the lens of the Civil War and its aftermath, the piece subverts every expectation.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Definition of subverts
Verb
  • Most frustratingly, the secret traitor demeans us, the audience.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
  • That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Definition of demeans

Browse Nearby Words

debasers
debases
debasing
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Cite this Entry

“Debases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debases. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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