ABASES Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

abases

verb

present tense third-person singular of abase

as in degrades

to lower in character, dignity, or quality was unwilling to abase himself by pleading guilty to a crime that he did not commit

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as in humiliates

to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes I certainly don't abase myself when I do good, honest manual labor

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for abases

Verb

At rates exceeding the cap, the internet degrades and is no longer usable.

— Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
My observations have been that when human capital is treated as a purely algorithmic input, workplace culture degrades and strategic talent development stops.

— Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of degrades

Verb

Taking aim at history on the exact 250th anniversary of the United States, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a report on July 4 that discredits the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

— Nora Oakes Howard, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
The praiseworthyness of having both sides of the debate evaporates when the host actively discredits the expert and reflexively enhances the legitimacy of the conspiracy theorist.

— Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 1 Dec. 2025

Definition of discredits

Verb

Janve, who centers his work in mountain landscapes, spoke at a press meeting about nature in the film functioning as a mirror that flatters and humbles its human subjects simultaneously.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026
Getting an injury, that’s one thing that humbles you.

— Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026

Definition of humbles

Verb

This places the audience alongside the Konyaks, and subverts the traditional, colonial cinematic gaze in the vein of Filipino maestro Lav Diaz.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
Psycho playfully subverts expectations and rejects structural norms to deliver one of the most surprising thrillers ever committed to film.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of subverts

Verb

In order to emerge victorious in his quest to bring the World Cup to Mexico, De la Torre debases himself and backstabs shamelessly.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
In a new Instagram post shared on Tuesday, the composer behind the HBO show’s memorable soundtrack described an industry that debases its own art and the people who make it for the sake of consumerism.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026

Definition of debases

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.

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abasements

abases

abash

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“Abases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abases. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of abases

verb

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