verb
subvert
suhb-VURT
verb
1
To weaken or destroy an established system, authority, or institution, often secretly.
"The scandal subverted public trust in the government."
"The film subverts audience expectations by killing off the hero early."
How to Use Subvert
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo undermine or overturn something, especially a system, expectation, or authority.
Common pairings
subvert expectations
subvert authority
subvert the system
Word Forms
subverted past tense, subverts plural, subverts singular
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The scandal _____ public trust in the government.
Etymology
From Old French subvertir, from Latin subvertere ("to overturn"), literally "to turn from beneath."