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Synonym Chooser

How is the word vitiate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of vitiate are corrupt, debase, debauch, deprave, and pervert. While all these words mean "to cause deterioration or lowering in quality or character," vitiate implies a destruction of purity, validity, or effectiveness by allowing entrance of a fault or defect.

a foreign policy vitiated by partisanship

When can corrupt be used instead of vitiate?

In some situations, the words corrupt and vitiate are roughly equivalent. However, corrupt implies loss of soundness, purity, or integrity.

the belief that bureaucratese corrupts the language

When is it sensible to use debase instead of vitiate?

While the synonyms debase and vitiate are close in meaning, debase implies a loss of position, worth, value, or dignity.

commercialism has debased the holiday

When would debauch be a good substitute for vitiate?

The synonyms debauch and vitiate are sometimes interchangeable, but debauch implies a debasing through sensual indulgence.

the long stay on a tropical isle had debauched the ship's crew

When could deprave be used to replace vitiate?

The words deprave and vitiate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deprave implies moral deterioration by evil thoughts or influences.

the claim that society is depraved by pornography

When might pervert be a better fit than vitiate?

The words pervert and vitiate can be used in similar contexts, but pervert implies a twisting or distorting from what is natural or normal.

perverted the original goals of the institute

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 vitiate The bill vitiates the existing legal agreements between the parties as to the calculation of re-setting of the ground lease rent and removes all leverage in negotiations. Anita W. Laremont, New York Daily News, 14 May 2024 Yet, the Biden Justice Department’s infighting and foot-dragging caused the statute of limitations for the 2014 and 2015 tax years to lapse, vitiating some of the investigation’s key allegations. The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2023 And, especially relevant to Edelman in this case: Is it vitiated by bad motives? Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 June 2023 His arguments were later challenged by critics who argued that new information and communication technologies vitiated the advantages of corporate size and hierarchical control. Barry Eichengreen, Foreign Affairs, 6 Sep. 2022 See All Example Sentences for vitiate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vitiate
Verb
  • Every foreign contract that U.S. companies get will now be tainted by questions of bribery.
    Richard Nephew, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2025
  • An interview in which post-production AI was mentioned temporarily tainted The Brutalist‘s good name.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • His final season was marred by a shoulder injury and insufficient QB play, but Loveland still led the Wolverines in receptions (56), receiving yards (582) and receiving TDs (five).
    Eddie Brown, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The election took place seven months earlier than originally planned after Scholz’s unpopular coalition collapsed in November, three years into a term that was increasingly marred by infighting.
    Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Most microplastics are made on land, where larger plastic debris degrades into tinier and tinier pieces.
    Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Globalstar, on the other hand, claims that opening up the 1.6GHz and 2.4GHz bands to other companies risks generating interference with its own satellite systems, potentially degrading the satellite connectivity for iPhones.
    Michael Kan, PCMAG, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • And in February, a driver plowed into a protest group in Munich injuring at least 28 people.
    Rachel McRady, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
  • In addition to the two people killed, 10 people were injured, five seriously, Mannheim police said in a statement.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.
    CBS News, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • Sergio Pino’s attorney Deanna Shifrin denied the poisoning allegations, pointing to comments Tatiana made in a December 2023 deposition stating that no healthcare provider had concluded she had been poisoned.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Today sends a message to every cartel leader, every trafficker, every criminal poisoning our communities: You will be held accountable.
    Polo Sandoval, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Displays of authenticity, executed improperly, can damage reputations and even derail careers.
    Harrison Monarth, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Moon dust plagued astronauts and spacecraft during NASA’s Apollo program in the mid-20th century, as the fine and abrasive material damaged camera lenses and visors, according to NASA.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vitiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vitiate. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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