DEGRADES Synonyms: 174 Similar and Opposite Words

degrades

verb

present tense third-person singular of degrade

as in reduces

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

as in deteriorates

to lower in character, dignity, or quality degrading the school's animal mascot with a silly costume

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as in humiliates

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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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 degrades 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 Monitoring their shifts shows that fast solar development degrades critical vegetation and food sources, threatening local biodiversity in ways other metrics often overlook. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026 As more fertile land degrades into dry, barren desert, the meeting is workshopping climate solutions using its key anti-desertification treaty, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026 The new 6+ model instantly stands out for featuring a removable, 4415 mAh battery, meaning a buyer can easily replace it once the battery degrades in a few years. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 18 Aug. 2026 The signal degrades at every step along this journey, and the guessers have to do their best with some pretty warped data. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 July 2026 The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate, so anything that degrades it could accelerate global warming, researchers say. — Gabriela Sa Pessoa, Fortune, 24 July 2026 Then there is the everyday crime that degrades urban quality of life. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for degrades

Verb

There is a possibility that the strengthening El Niño weather event creates a mild early winter in northeast Asia which reduces demand, Drinkwater said.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The faster process reduces energy which is lost as waste heat.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of reduces

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

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

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

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Synonyms of degrades

verb

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