as in corrupting
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 subverting
And her co-stars—Jacob Elordi as a brooding Heathcliff, Alison Oliver as an angelic Isabella Linton, Hong Chau as a steely Nelly Dean, and Shazad Latif as a swaggering Edgar Linton—would also be subverting our expectations.
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Radhika Seth, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2026
After collaborating with Sotheby’s on a 2024 installation of Impressionism, for which they were tasked with subverting assumptions of the movement, the duo are now conceiving the company’s new restaurant, Marcel, named after the architect.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 8 Jan. 2026
So, yes, the Cinderella vibes are strong here, but Bridgerton is best when subverting the fairy tale tropes at its foundation.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025
Advertisement In an action media landscape of dark, twisted dramas, Study Group refuses to take itself too seriously, cleverly subverting many of the genre’s tropes.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 18 Dec. 2025
These committees have a reputation for reportedly denying workers the right to select their own representatives, thus subverting genuine collective dialogue, per the BHRC.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 17 Dec. 2025
The White House strategy makes the unsubstantiated claim that the populations of some European countries want an end to the war, but that their governments are subverting democratic processes and not delivering it.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
But Markham has no interest in subverting this feeling.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
All of it—having children because her husband wanted them, putting her career on hold to tend pear trees in a midwestern suburb—might come across as out of character for Smith, who spent her formative years subverting traditional gender roles.
—Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverting
Verb
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And along the way enrich himself and partner with some of the world's most dangerous and violent drug traffickers and corrupting his country.—
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First, someone, like the objecting citizen in Denton, warns that a dangerous force is corrupting the schools.—
Verb
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The information ecosystem is degrading more each moment.—
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Under Budanov, the GUR expanded its operational footprint, coordinating intelligence, sabotage and special operations aimed at degrading Russian military capabilities far beyond the front lines.—
Verb
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Milk, butter and cheese prices on the wholesale market and at grocery stores have decreased slightly due to oversupply and weakening consumer demand.—
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This suggests consumers enter 2026 with continuing concerns over high prices and weakening labor market conditions.—
Verb
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The brand, which was based on changing the status quo and perverting common ideas, was a success and Babenzien learned how to build a business.—
Verb
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By the 1960s, gas flares and untreated waste spillage were destroying their forests.—
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And there is a risk of the parasites becoming dormant for years before reactivating and destroying a new cornea.—
Verb
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The Olympics’ ability to spread itself out without diluting its iconic character will be worth following all February long.—
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The smell will fade overtime as the blinds begin to dry, but diluting vinegar with water helps minimize the potency of the scent.—
Verb
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For now, all that can be said for certain, judging by the latest implosion in his current employers West Ham’s fast-deteriorating season, is that nobody has benefited from his falling-out with Edu and the sequence of events that brought about Nuno’s exit from the City Ground.—
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Iran has been racked by protests over the past several days around deteriorating economic conditions in the country, made worse by a growing water crisis and severe sanctions against Tehran.—
Verb
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In one case, in the year before Makandal’s death, a servant in Saint-Domingue named Médor was arrested for poisoning his enslaver to obtain his freedom.—
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In a recent study, however, researchers at Yale found that interoception helped mice avoid poisoning themselves.—
Cite this Entry
“Subverting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverting. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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