1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
overuse has devitalized many a once-striking figure of speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
she was devitalized by the infection
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 devitalize
This can devitalize the plant to the point of it starting to die back.
—
oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023
Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
His lip was completely destroyed with multiple linear lacerations, jagged lacerations, devitalized tissue, denervated tissue with a 12 cm laceration in multiple pieces of the entire left upper lift, the mucosal surface, and orbicularis.
—Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 1 June 2017
oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023
Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
His lip was completely destroyed with multiple linear lacerations, jagged lacerations, devitalized tissue, denervated tissue with a 12 cm laceration in multiple pieces of the entire left upper lift, the mucosal surface, and orbicularis.
—Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 1 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalize
Verb
-
This is all designed to undermine future competitions.Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
-
The big picture: Trump could try to undermine the press through some of those regulatory openings, but the U.S. court system has a strong track record of protecting First Amendment freedoms should a media firm fight back.Sara Fischer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
-
With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
In October, the company revealed plans to raise as much as $35 billion to refill its quickly draining treasury, a tricky dance considering that new debt would threaten its barely-there investment-grade credit rating.Melvin Backman, Quartz, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Independent of the probable timeline for making repairs to Tropicana Field, it can't be used as an outdoor venue either, because the stadium was not engineered to drain rainwater away from the field.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Stir occasionally for about three minutes, until the onion starts to glisten and soften.Claudia Alexander, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Add the garlic and rosemary sprig and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and carrots are beginning to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The divisive race has left Americans exhausted and on edge, Sonoma State Political Science Professor David McCuan said.Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Javonte Williams, Running Back Williams, 24, came to Denver with high expectations after the team exhausted a second-round pick on the North Carolina product back in 2021.Vincent Frank, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Good post for a mid- to late-November afternoon: 70 to 100 yards back in timber and along the thickest, nastiest ditch that leads out to crops. 59) Don’t waste precious rut-hunting time.Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Yet, at least once, maybe twice a month, they get totally wasted and the wife calls me and rambles on incoherently.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The body was supposedly petrified by sap, and the loggers found several gold coins dating to the late 1600s, as well as pieces of paper identifying the person as Pierre D’Artagnan.Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024
-
The West and Israel should be mindful over the apparent change in tempo of Iran’s uranium enrichment and be petrified of losing the wider war of non proliferation in a region unable to step back from the brink.Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 28 Feb. 2021
-
The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.Teo Bugbee, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020
Thesaurus Entries Near devitalize
Cite this Entry
“Devitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalize. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share