SUBVERTS Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

subverts

verb

present tense third-person singular of subvert

as in degrades

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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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 subverts 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 Seen through the lens of the Civil War and its aftermath, the piece subverts every expectation. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 The play subverts itself, never allowing an audience to gain a commanding foothill, even at the end when (suffice it to say) the watchers become the watched. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026 With Manhunt, Felker-Martin subverts this convention, creating a post-contagion world in which trans women (and men and nonbinary people) not only exist but tell the story themselves across multiple viewpoint characters. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm. — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2026 Gourault often subverts the extractivist logic of new media technologies and employs open-source investigation in the production of his films. — Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026 The textured outer elevates even the most basic outfits, while the oxblood hue subtly subverts expectations. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverts

Verb

However, doing so degrades the signal and leads to data-reading errors.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Rich Handel, resident laundry expert at Consumer Reports, warns that mixing heavy fabrics like denim with delicate garments increases friction and degrades the softer material.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of degrades

Verb

Unlike a measurement that absorbs or destroys the photons, this method can extract information while preserving the photons themselves.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Raking or shredding those leaves destroys the next generation.

— Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroys

Verb

Most frustratingly, the secret traitor demeans us, the audience.

— Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025

Definition of demeans

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subverting

subverts

subway

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“Subverts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverts. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of subverts

verb

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