Synonyms for subvert
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Overthrow — to overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly
overturn, destroy, ruin, demolish, abrogate, invert, uproot, defeat, bring down, throw down, extinguish, raze, erase, devastate, turn upside down, level, upset, dash, fell, wreck, overset, obliterate
2. Corrupt — to pervert, as the mind, and turn it from the truth; to corrupt; to confound
corrupt, pervert, debase, vitiate, misdirect, seduce, debauch, profane, sophisticate, deprave, suborn, pollute, contaminate, warp, lead astray, demoralize dated UK US, demoralise UK, adulterate formal dated
3. Undermine
Definitions
- v. 1
To overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly.
- v. 2
To pervert, as the mind, and turn it from the truth; to corrupt; to confound.
The oppressive regime stays in power only as long as they manage to subvert the will of the people.
- v. 3
To upturn convention from the foundation by undermining it (literally, to turn from beneath).
Related words
- Word family
- subversion subversive
Forms
- Past participle
- subverted
e.g. subverted → overturned, destroyed, ruined, demolished…
Choose the right word
Overthrow may be used in either a good or a bad sense; suppress is commonly in a good, subvert always in a bad sense; as, to subvert our liberties; to suppress a rebellion.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- destroy Do you really think it will destroy my reputation?
- overturn Sami launched a campaign to overturn his conviction.
- demolish The decision was made to demolish the old building.
- abrogate Did the ruling abrogate your right to seek compensation?
- pervert Gustavo must have known John was a pervert.
- debase You will debase yourself with such behavior.
By length
- 3 letters
- sap1
- 4 letters
- fell1, ruin2, dash1, warp1, raze1
- 5 letters
- level2, upset2, wreck1, erase2
- 6 letters
- defeat2, weaken2, seduce2, invert2, uproot2, debase2, suborn
- 7 letters
- destroy2, corrupt2, pervert2, profane2, pollute2, vitiate3, debauch, overset, deprave2
- 8 letters
- sabotage3, overturn3, demolish3, abrogate3
- 9 letters
- undermine3, devastate3, misdirect3
- 10 letters
- counteract3, extinguish3, obliterate4, demoralize4, demoralise, adulterate4
- 11 letters
- contaminate4
- 12 letters
- sophisticate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ruin2 = 2 syllables).