as in degraded
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
corrupt businessmen who are out to fleece the public corrupt business practices that should be investigated
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
a dead mouse corrupting in the walls produced a terrible smell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
some observers believe that grossly violent movies corrupt the people who watch them as well as the people who make them
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
he bragged about having corrupted half of the officials on the city council
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of corrupt
James Folta, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
Their corrupt and incompetent government and feckless international institutions have been totally unable to protect them.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 17 Dec. 2025
Pure visions get creatively corrupted.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corrupt
Adjective
Every other politician is portrayed as sleazy, or lazy, or corrupt—except for Congressman Stuart, who is perfect of course.
—Verb
Murry corrupted and perverted and destroyed Katherine both as a person and a writer […] Her gifts were those of an intense realist, with a superb sense of ironic humour and fundamental cynicism.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupt
Adjective
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Two meetings will be hosted this month for public input on a proposal to restore a degraded estuary in South Laguna at Aliso Creek.—
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Loyola Marymount University professor Demian Willette uses it to better understand how micro-forests take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, contribute to local biodiversity and help restore degraded land.—
Verb
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Rourke alleged that the floors were rotted, there was no running water in a couple of places there should have been and the place was infested with rodents.—
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Their roots need air, and soil can be too dense and lead to rotting roots.—
Verb
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His mother previously told the Observer that his mental health degraded in the COVID-19 pandemic.—
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The information ecosystem is degrading more each moment.—
Verb
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There's no shame in a little bit of bribing to get the job done!—
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After a seven-week trial, Lopez was convicted in March 2023, along with the sports marketing firm Full Play Group, of participating in a scheme to bribe South American soccer officials.—
Adjective
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This leaves a sicker risk pool behind and drives premiums even higher for those who remain.—
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Humans who have prolonged close contact with sick or dead birds infected with HPAI are the most at risk of becoming infected.—
Verb
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The decaying Avenger is one of a dozen wrecks in three very different underwater environments — the western Pacific Ocean off Saipan, Lake Huron, shared by Michigan and Ontario, and the Italian Mediterranean — investigated as part of the ambitious pilot project involving eDNA.—
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The place is decaying and strict, but Luna refuses to give in to its rules.—
Verb
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By subverting trust and building paranoia to screeching highs, The Thing exploits some of humanity's worst traits.—
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The directors spent over eight years tracking Shahverdi’s efforts to subvert economic systems and transform local attitudes.—
Adjective
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Willms plans to call the Bureau of Land Management — the agency that oversees these parcels of federal land — to report the crooked stake.—
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Begin by removing any suckers at the base of the tree, side shoots on the trunk, crossing or crooked branches, dead or damaged branches, those that are growing inward, and crowded branches.—
Cite this Entry
“Corrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupt. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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