verb
-
to bring about the complete downfall or ruin of (something existing or established by a system of law, etc)
-
to undermine the moral principles of (a person, etc); corrupt
Other Word Forms
- subverter noun
- unsubverted adjective
Etymology
Origin of subvert
1325–75; Middle English subverten < Latin subvertere to overthrow, equivalent to sub- sub- + vertere to turn
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They’re standards that “Dead Man” aims to measure up to, as well as templates it wants to subvert.
From Los Angeles Times
D’Aquino’s defense: She had been slyly subverting the propaganda machine the whole time, entertaining Americans with facetious language no one could take seriously and introducing upbeat American music the GIs actually loved.
From Los Angeles Times
Yoon plunged South Korea into political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule in December last year, sending armed soldiers to parliament in a bid to stop lawmakers voting down his martial law declaration.
From Barron's
On Friday, the country's army said it had thwarted an "attempt to subvert the constitutional order" and arrested several senior military officers.
From Barron's
For disabled artist Panteha Abareshi, this expectation is subverted as they present their desire and bodily experience to be dissected and examined in “CAREOTICS: on giving and taking” at Human Resources.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
