as in to degrade
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
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Recent Examples of subvert
As the Department of Government Efficiency roars through agencies across government, its targets have included some of the organizations that Beijing worried about most, or actively sought to subvert.
—
David E. Sanger, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
Sartori has further developed his personal take on menswear, and a signature style, experimenting with light shapes and technical finishes, developing a new leisurewear silhouette and subverting under and outer layers, as his shirts became jackets and jackets became shirts.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 18 Mar. 2025
Despite the initial confusion and many discussions over whether Verhoeven’s 1997 blockbuster was subverting or doubling down on the source material’s politics, the movie was generally well-received and gained a diehard cult following over the years.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Kloss took the fundamental tenet of printmaking, line, and subverted it, a fact the museum exhibitions play with.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subvert
David E. Sanger, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2025
Sartori has further developed his personal take on menswear, and a signature style, experimenting with light shapes and technical finishes, developing a new leisurewear silhouette and subverting under and outer layers, as his shirts became jackets and jackets became shirts.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 18 Mar. 2025
Despite the initial confusion and many discussions over whether Verhoeven’s 1997 blockbuster was subverting or doubling down on the source material’s politics, the movie was generally well-received and gained a diehard cult following over the years.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Kloss took the fundamental tenet of printmaking, line, and subverted it, a fact the museum exhibitions play with.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subvert
Verb
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Government lawyers argue that Meta's services have degraded in quality in part because of its dominant position in the marketplace.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
13 Apr. 2025
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According to the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.—
Julia Angwin,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Stuart Miller, Boynton Beach Seven memorable words Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2025
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The show followed an ensemble of one-percenters at the titular resort in Hawaii, observing how their privilege blinds them to reality and corrupts everyone around them, leading to conflicts, cruelty, and, eventually, violence.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Worthy sues ex-fiancée Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy accused his ex-fiancee of theft and extortion in a lawsuit, obtained by The Athletic yesterday, which alleges that Tia Jones stole and destroyed money and personal property belonging to Worthy.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
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The gangs have resumed kidnappings, while burning hospitals and destroying schools.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There was a period when Broadway creators thought the only way to get a performance was to humiliate a person.—
Mark Seliger,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
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An investigation of at least eight fraternities found that members humiliated students through means like beating them with paddles or forcing potential recruits to eat live fish and drink urine, according to court filings.—
Dan Belson,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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His illuminating backstage account of cable news describes thoughtful journalists debasing themselves in their scramble to retain straying viewers.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
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This is what distinguishes bitcoin from every other modern financial asset – like gold, it cannot be debased by fiat or easily censored.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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Calls to poison control centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion increased 530 percent between 2012 and 2021, according to one analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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To take apple cider vinegar before bed, dilute it in water and drink the mixture 2-3 hours before bed to prevent acid reflux.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
7 Apr. 2025
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Sometimes, the healthiest choice is saying no — to overcommitment, to untrustworthy allies, to mission creep that dilutes your impact, or to compromises that undermine your values.—
Jay Ruderman,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subvert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subvert. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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