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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 subvert
The book boldly subverts the standard view of Pakistani politics as a contest of dueling binaries, religious and secular, military and civilian.
—
Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
China, a rising power, subverted Hong Kong, menaced Taiwan, and sterilized Uyghur Muslims in camps, all while the liberal international order effectively shrugged and made its next purchase from Temu.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2025
What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn, amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics and explosive action, actually gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
Second, Trump has been able to subvert our system of checks and balances because so many, including congressional Republicans, fear his retribution.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
China, a rising power, subverted Hong Kong, menaced Taiwan, and sterilized Uyghur Muslims in camps, all while the liberal international order effectively shrugged and made its next purchase from Temu.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2025
What starts as a series that aims to subvert the heist genre at every turn, amped with thrilling life-or-death stakes, family dynamics and explosive action, actually gives birth to an exploration of what drives us, sustains us, and ultimately destroys us.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
Second, Trump has been able to subvert our system of checks and balances because so many, including congressional Republicans, fear his retribution.
—Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subvert
Verb
-
Israeli forces began military ground operations in Gaza, particularly the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in an effort to degrade the terror group's infrastructure, authorities said Thursday.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
20 Mar. 2025
-
And even roofs that are still relatively young may begin to show signs of weakness — the sealant that holds asphalt shingles in place often begins to degrade after a decade and can fail when pummeled with high winds.—
Ron Lieber,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Consumers are already losing confidence and pulling back on spending, weakening a key engine of the economy.—
Axios,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
-
In an all-staff e-mail, Dudek wrote: Criticism, contempt, stonewalling, and defensiveness are the four forces that can end any relationship and weaken any institution. . .—
E. Tammy Kim,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Sensor Noise: Typically measured with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), this parameter quantifies how much the signal has been corrupted by noise.—
Elizabeth Duffy,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Information tends to get lost or corrupted during transitions.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Tornadoes pose a severe risk to life and property, with their powerful winds capable of destroying homes, overturning vehicles, and uprooting trees.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Taking on the role of a teenage boy named Chrono, players have to travel through time and assemble a team to stop a horrifying creature named Lavos from destroying the world.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Remember, Trump kicked off his political career by claiming Obama wasn't born here, and reportedly decided to run for president only after Obama humiliated him to his face at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2011.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
-
In addition to the City of Hartford and Hartford School Board, the complaint named Tilda Santiago, a special education case manager who allegedly repeatedly bullied and harassed Ortiz by yelling and humiliating the teen in front of other students and teachers.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Only by allowing himself to be debased can this man actually come to understand God.—
Kevin Lincoln,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
The invisible, odorless gas is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in the United States, killing more than 400 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Thousands each year are shot, poisoned to suffer, and trapped legally.—
James Powel,
USA TODAY,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Old-timers’ fears of diversity diluting the unique Vienna affect — the blend of instruments being a wonder of the orchestral world — proved unsurprisingly unfounded.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Expand only when revenue and opportunity justify it, allowing growth without diluting your brand or abandoning your core audience.—
Rolling Stone Culture Council,
Rolling Stone,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subvert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subvert. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share