BASTARDIZE Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

bastardize

verb

ˈba-stər-ˌdīz

Definition of bastardize

as in to degrade

to lower in character, dignity, or quality bastardize the art form by adapting it to popular taste

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 bastardize But, like all good things, it has been bastardized to the point of not being worth your time. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2026 Short’s personality and complexity, attributes long discarded as her life became bastardized, stand in stark contrast to the inhumanity of her death. — Nathan Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026 The events meant to bring us together, like the Super Bowl or March Madness, have been bastardized into vehicles for ruinous addiction. — MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 Additionally, adding the musical element further bastardizes this tale. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bastardize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bastardize

Verb

When temperatures rise, heat can quietly degrade pantry staples, making refrigeration essential to preserve quality and flavor.

— Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 1 July 2026
If leaders are not present and actively developing people, the system degrades—quietly at first, then all at once.

— Brian Coyne, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of degrade

Verb

Some of that sentiment reflects the fact that the president and those around him subvert the rule of law, decency, and democratic restraints.

— Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
The Sedition Act of 1918, which subverted the Bill of Rights, imposed penalties for anti-government expression.

— Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 1 July 2026

Definition of subvert

Verb

Forgetting his bond with the land, Mariano awakens the Ch’iqmi, a dark force that corrupts his people.

— Kevin Giraud, Variety, 25 June 2026
Lander has argued Goldman, the multimillionaire heir to the Levi jeans fortune, embodies establishment, corporate interests that corrupt the Democratic Party.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 23 June 2026

Definition of corrupt

Verb

Israel must leave humiliated and defeated — and that is exactly what will happen.

— Mark Osborne, CBS News, 26 June 2026
Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026

Definition of humiliate

Verb

In spite of their original values of humanitarianism and neutrality, these organizations have been morally debased from within, using the language of human rights and international justice yet deploying it on behalf of autocracies and against the liberal democracies that created them.

— Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
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

Definition of debase

Verb

The flow of dark traffic is one of the factors that helped explain why oil markets had weakened significantly by early June, together with a surge in exports from the US and pullback in buying by China.

— Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026
But as several surveys have consistently indicated, optimism about our country's outlook has undeniably weakened.

— Robert Hormats, Time, 4 July 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 2 July 2026

Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

bastard

bastardize

bastardized

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bastardize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bastardize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bastardize

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on bastardize

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes