as in to humiliate
to make (someone) feel or behave more like an animal than a human being
being deprived of clothes dehumanized the prisoners
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dehumanize
In a world that often feels fragmented and dehumanized, reclaiming this universality is an ethical act.
—
Ed Meza, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Those included flattering depictions of world leaders as powerful men, or dehumanizing depictions of opposition leaders.
—Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026
To fall in love with a chatbot or rely on it for friendship — to me that’s a pretty good definition of dehumanizing.
—Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Ed Meza, Variety, 16 Mar. 2026
Those included flattering depictions of world leaders as powerful men, or dehumanizing depictions of opposition leaders.
—Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
The Creature thinks his suffering can only cease if it is replicated in another, and expresses this desire through possessive, dehumanizing language.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 7 Mar. 2026
To fall in love with a chatbot or rely on it for friendship — to me that’s a pretty good definition of dehumanizing.
—Nick Hilden, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dehumanize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dehumanize
Verb
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
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According to the suit, she was humiliated by fellow staff members and belittled due to her race, country of origin, religion and immigration status.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nikitin was drugged and brutalized by his captors in the Soviet psychiatric prisons.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
15 Apr. 2026
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However, human rights groups say migrants are being brutalized and pushed back illegally at EU borders, while legal protections are increasingly being hollowed out.—
Sam McNeil,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Who cares about the fact that her friend cheated when her child was poisoned by her husband and her father?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
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Kuroda admitted to using chloroform, paraformaldehyde (PFA), and Trizol to poison his co-worker's water bottle and shoes, according to a Dane County Court criminal complaint.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dehumanize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dehumanize. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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