subverts

verb

present tense third-person singular of subvert
as in degrades
to lower in character, dignity, or quality by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 subverts 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 Although the Western genre is an ever-present influence, Grisebach subverts some of its tropes. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 22 May 2026 The play subverts itself, never allowing an audience to gain a commanding foothill, even at the end when (suffice it to say) the watchers become the watched. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026 With Manhunt, Felker-Martin subverts this convention, creating a post-contagion world in which trans women (and men and nonbinary people) not only exist but tell the story themselves across multiple viewpoint characters. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm. — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2026 Gourault often subverts the extractivist logic of new media technologies and employs open-source investigation in the production of his films. — Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026 The textured outer elevates even the most basic outfits, while the oxblood hue subtly subverts expectations. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverts
  1. degrades
  2. weakens
  3. corrupts
  4. destroys
  5. humiliates
  6. dilutes
  7. deteriorates
  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
  • 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
  • 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
  • T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroys
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
  • First, the plume dilutes as cleaner background air mixes into it.
    — Michael A. Robinson, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The maneuver also dilutes heavily Republican districts, as some GOP legislators have warned.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dilutes
Verb
  • Production volumes may remain high over a short period, even as supply security deteriorates.
    — Kari Stoever, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • As the charging system deteriorates, electronic features may stop working properly.
    — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorates
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

subverting
subverts
subway
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Cite this Entry

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

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