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
The film may initially present Man-su as a sympathetic family man trying to make ends meet, but Lee quickly subverts those sentiments once Man-su’s methodical process betrays no sense of remorse.
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Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
At the 2025 Emmys in September, the actress subverted the event's formal dress code, opting for straight-leg blue jeans and a white T-shirt, adding a pair of black flats, a belt and sunglasses.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 4 Jan. 2026
Duwaji, 28, has continued to subvert expectations in her clothing choices as the incoming first lady, favoring understated, modern looks with creative-class sensibility.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
McCall’s banner also appears to cleverly usurp and subvert the aesthetics of European heraldry—indeed, its elegant design would look utterly correct on a beret, a medal, or a heater shield.
—Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subvert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subvert
Verb
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This structure can diffract light and degrade image quality.—
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At 40, he was tasked with restoring order to a dysfunctional Philadelphia Eagles team whose culture degraded during a chaotic 2020 season.—
Verb
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Evergreen branches bent under the weight of snow are already weakened; sweeping down the length of the branch toward the ground adds to the stress and increases the potential for breakage.—
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These policies impose devastating costs on American citizens, weakening our economy, increasing the national debt, straining public budgets and tearing families apart.—
Verb
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As Jay Jonah Atterbury, one of a handful of new characters on the fourth season of Industry, Kal Penn weaponizes and corrupts the stoner quirks viewers may recognize from his years playing Kumar Patel in the Harold & Kumar films.—
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His mind is warped, his sense of morality corrupted.—
Verb
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But the Red Sox destroyed and ended their relationship with their only true power hitter and proven winner for a player who, though an undeniably excellent addition, was here for 117 total games.—
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In the Pacific Palisades and nearby Malibu, flames burned for 31 days, scorching 37 square miles and destroying more than 6,000 structures, most of them homes.—
Verb
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And videotaping it to humiliate them.—
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She had never been arrested before and felt humiliated when her mugshot was plastered all over the news after her arrest.—
Verb
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Since the summer of 2025, antiforeigner sentiment—fueled by false or exaggerated claims about migrant workers committing crimes, foreign residents draining welfare coffers, or international tourists debasing Japanese culture—has taken hold in Japanese politics.—
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But the story of Hilma af Klint lacks the blunt clarity of balance sheets, and her afterlife suggests that money, far from debasing art, is what pins it to the world.—
Verb
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For part of the trial of El Chapo, the city shut down the Brooklyn Bridge; his lawyers tried to move the proceedings to Philadelphia, because the jury pool was poisoned by angry commuters.—
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Alice is paranoid, thinking her roommate is rearranging her shower supplies and that someone might be poisoning her food.—
Verb
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Those sums would likely be diluted, given baseball teams carry 26 players and NBA teams carry up to 15, but money is still money.—
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Just be sure to dilute it with a carrier oil like coconut or almond oil before massaging it into sore spots.—
Cite this Entry
“Subvert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subvert. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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