corrupting

verb

present participle of corrupt
1
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition a dead mouse corrupting in the walls produced a terrible smell

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degrading
to lower in character, dignity, or quality some observers believe that grossly violent movies corrupt the people who watch them as well as the people who make them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bribing
to influence someone with a bribe he bragged about having corrupted half of the officials on the city council

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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 corrupting Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026 And by engaging with these powerful militaries, the group reinforced its self-image as a major regional player that was uniquely capable of liberating the Muslim world from corrupting American and Israeli influence. — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026 Gadgets with screens of any size have long been allegedly melting, rotting, and/or corrupting the brains of youths for decades. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026 Instead, in trying to explain what made both Murdoch and Lamb tick in those early days, Boyle and Graham show us just how intoxicating and corrupting this kind of success can be. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 The Apology is Plato’s version of the speech of self-defense Socrates gives when he is tried by the city of Athens for corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods. — Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026 Validation rules, schema standards and completeness checks at the entry point prevent bad master data from corrupting everything downstream. — Jacqueline Destefano-Tangorra, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country. — CBS News, 31 May 2026 An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison. — George G. Szpiro, Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupting
  1. decomposing
  2. degrading
  3. bribing
  4. disintegrating
  5. subverting
  6. seducing
  7. decaying
  8. weakening
Verb
  • The evolution of land plants and the development of soil go hand in hand—as these pioneering plants, trees, and animals died and their decomposing remains were recycled on land, by fungi and the first soil invertebrates, modern soils began to form.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Even poor Maggie the cat — the only living animal in Digger’s house and possibly one of the last living animals in the world — is decomposing in his arms, his sister (Sandra Hüller) says with a shudder.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of decomposing
Verb
  • Local farms face ever degrading soil conditions, tougher markets and more extreme weather patterns.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Germany's Constitutional Court ruled last year that the extradition was unlawful because it could not be guaranteed that the defendant would not be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrading
Verb
  • Joseph Livreri and his brother Anthony Livreri pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery after being charged with bribing a former New York City buildings commissioner who was part of Eric Adams' Democratic administration.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Lucienne, a mountain girl charmed by Ortiz, eased their passage by bribing the right gendarme.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of bribing
Verb
  • Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The 110-floor south tower, struck shortly after the north tower by another plane, was disintegrating.
    — Diane Herbst, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of disintegrating
Verb
  • According to tax authorities, by inappropriately avoiding gains, investors are subverting the intention of the rules.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a guilty pleasure in subverting a cheesy tourist tee.
    — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of subverting
Verb
  • Adva Lavie, an OnlyFans model, already is facing criminal charges in Los Angeles County for allegedly seducing and stealing from rich men.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Still, with more than 40,000 industry jobs lost in the past few years, soundstages and vendor storefronts sitting empty, and lucrative overseas incentives seducing even more production away, things are bleak in town right now.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of seducing
Verb
  • Park advocates have long argued that the existing city allocation is inadequate, leaving neighborhoods with decaying recreation centers, deteriorating swimming pools and filthy park bathrooms.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Activating young adults Volunteers spent most of the morning clearing out years of overgrowth, decaying structures and a greenhouse gone wild.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of decaying
Verb
  • While critics claim the court cases are politically motivated and aimed at weakening the opposition, the government insists the country’s judiciary is independent and free from political influence.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Those tasks had often depended on personal relationships rather than formal job requirements, and the researchers found those ties were weakening.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening

Browse Nearby Words

corruptible
corrupting
corruption
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Cite this Entry

“Corrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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