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.
At once, they confront the absurdity of the relationship between absence and presence, and subvert expectations through Lee’s striking approach to scale.
From Los Angeles Times
As the Gilded Age rolled on, one female game designer subverted the script.
These simple facts subvert conventional financial wisdom, which says the only stock exposure you need is in the broad indexes.
From MarketWatch
As “Oceanwide Plaza” subverts the fantasy of the miniature, the dolls do the same for the collectible figurine, asking what makes a moment “precious.”
From Los Angeles Times
As an “SCTV” early adopter, O’Hara was first attractive to me because she was funny, but she was also beautiful — a beauty she could subvert by a subtle or broad rearrangement of her features.
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.
