to bowdlerize

Examples

• All

• Many classic novels are often bowdlerized before being released in school editions to avoid offending parents.

• You bowdlerize what little it tells you.

  Blog text (19)

• It's bowdlerized daily by men like Rich D and his devil.

  Blog text (19)

• But can anything beat that opening, even with the bowdlerized lyrics?

  Blog text (14)

• It's clear that the Biden administration was trying to bowdlerize this obligation that they had in order not to offend the Chinese government.

• In that context, the Holocaust is certainly abused, but it is also brought to the fore in ways and in places where it was previously unknown or massively bowdlerized.

  Academic text (2010)

• He couldn't help himself sitting there with that simplifying, bowdlerizing radio moderator and those callers, by turns ignorant and vituperative.

  Fiction book (1993)

• However one parses this bowdlerized version of the old—and justly celebrated—dictum, the fact that private party B will be known only at some future date does not lessen the fact that property has been transferred to a private party who will benefit from the government taking.

  Blog text (34)

• Viz, I would never refer to those mentally less capable as "retarded"—but the word has some specific jargon uses in mechanics and electronics, and it would be ridiculous to try to bowdlerize the language where it is appropriately used to designate slowing something down.

  Blog text (3)

• The publisher decided to bowdlerize the controversial book to make it suitable for younger readers.

Synonyms

C

to censor

vsto bowdlerize

514 5.2

To remove parts of books and films that are offensive or about politics

is an editorial change that often weakens a work rather than formal suppression

S

to sanitize

vsto bowdlerize

• US

12 4.9

Remove or change words people find offensive to make something more acceptable

is specific to works and highlights weakening or loss of original quality

B

to bastardize

vsto bowdlerize

• Informal

4 8.2

To make something lower quality by changing it from its original form

instead alters or removes offensive parts, often to make the work acceptable

E

to expurgate

vsto bowdlerize

1 9.6

Change parts of a book, play or text to remove words people find offensive

often results in a weakened, less effective version after alteration

C

to castrate

vsto bowdlerize

1 9.3

To remove parts of a book or film to make it less offensive

often makes the work weaker or less effective after such edits

V

to vulgarize

vsto bowdlerize

• US

1 8.4

To make something simpler and less refined to appeal to many people

focuses on removing offensive parts to avoid offense, not on mass appeal

Antonyms

P

to preserve

496 3.4

To keep people and things safe from harm or change

R

to retain

236 3.4

To keep having something such as a job or possession

How Censored

to suppress

176 4.8

to bowdlerize

• Literature

1 9.9

to censor

514 5.2

to abridge

6.7

to edit

337 1.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology