1
as in to undermine
to deprive of emotional or intellectual vitality
overuse has devitalized many a once-striking figure of speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of
she was devitalized by the infection
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of devitalize
This can devitalize the plant to the point of it starting to die back.
—
oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023
Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
His lip was completely destroyed with multiple linear lacerations, jagged lacerations, devitalized tissue, denervated tissue with a 12 cm laceration in multiple pieces of the entire left upper lift, the mucosal surface, and orbicularis.
—Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 1 June 2017
oregonlive, 5 Feb. 2023
Miller’s writing début may have been precipitated by her assault, but the final work devitalizes its horrific beginnings.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2019
His lip was completely destroyed with multiple linear lacerations, jagged lacerations, devitalized tissue, denervated tissue with a 12 cm laceration in multiple pieces of the entire left upper lift, the mucosal surface, and orbicularis.
—Edmund H. Mahony, courant.com, 1 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for devitalize
Verb
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Without them, distrust and disrespect undermine the actions.—
John S. Tobey,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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The liberation of the leaves will undermine the black-market trade and reduce deforestation by freeing for cultivation lands long ago cleared and abandoned.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Agreeing to a pick swap with the Lynx weakened the value of the pick that the Sky traded away.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
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One by one, the sectors defect, and, eventually, the leader may weaken and their government may fall.—
Julia Angwin,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Until then, the negative effects of import taxes such as rising unemployment and a slowing economy will drain trillions of dollars from the revenues the administration hopes to raise.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Former President Joe Biden drained the reserve of more than 40% of its capacity when gas prices reached record highs, averaging more than $5 a gallon across the U.S. in June 2022.—
Dan McCaleb | The Center Square,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Bookings are already softening from corporate and leisure customers, especially in domestic markets, although according to Delta, premium and international demand remains strong so far.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
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Add roast and cook until well browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to slow cooker. Reduce heat to medium and add onions to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That exhausts herself to the last drop of energy.—
Daniela Avila,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
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But the Cold War stocks are finite, slowly being exhausted.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The protests specifically targeted the rapid downsizing and cuts to waste in the federal government.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Apr. 2025
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But while the fine dining scene is flourishing, the everyday staples still tell a story of hardship, frugality, and a desire to waste nothing.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He was petrified by the thought of dying of cancer or some other disease whose senselessness disgusted him.—
Ian Buruma,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
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Medusa was known in ancient Greece for petrifying anyone who dared to look her in the eye, and has been seen as a personification of madness.—
Sarah Belmont,
ARTnews.com,
17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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This relationship, when successful, tends to enervate mediating institutions that thwart the immediate desires of both the populist leader and the public.—
Cameron Hilditch,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2021
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The saving grace of this often enervating thriller is that Doscher grants time for his actors to build character and intimacy, and both Pinto and Odom offer warm, affectingly natural performances as two people facing the end of their world.—
Teo Bugbee,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Devitalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/devitalize. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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