as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
in the years following the closing of the last textile mill, the town atrophied
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degeneration
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 atrophy
Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
The study included 38 people with geographic atrophy.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2025
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
That episode drives home how deeply the oversight capacities of the American system have atrophied in its wake.
—Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Verb
At 9 months old, Swann was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive, terminal neuromuscular condition, often described as the childhood version of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
The study included 38 people with geographic atrophy.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
The real-life consequences of automation atrophying human critical skills are already well-established.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
That episode drives home how deeply the oversight capacities of the American system have atrophied in its wake.
—Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophy
Verb
-
Data centers deteriorate rapidly, unlike the more durable infrastructure of canals, railroads, or even fiber-optic cables.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
-
During an earnings call Wednesday, Lyons said Argentina’s deteriorating economic environment contributed to slowing growth and margin disappointment.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Not only are relapses unpredictable but scientists have yet to explain the slow and insidious degeneration that often occurs even without new lesions.—
Lucinda Rosenfeld,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Looking ahead, the research team plans to test the new compounds in animal and human studies, in hopes that this could lead to a new approach for slowing or repairing brain degeneration for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
No Buffett, no premium Since Warren Buffett announced his retirement from Berkshire Hathaway its stock has declined 11% in a period when the S&P 500 rose 20%.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Baldwin’s lawyers declined to comment on Kenney’s suit.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The causes of the deterioration are different in each case, and some of Washington’s grievances against Brazil, India, and South Africa—global swing states that will help dictate which country leads the world—are legitimate.—
Richard Fontaine,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Oct. 2025
-
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, CMT causes a range of sensory and motor symptoms, including numbness, tingling, pain, muscle weakness and atrophy — deterioration in cells, tissues, and organs.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The government shutdown threatens that economic output, and according to Schroeder, almost all service members are at serious threat of missing a paycheck if the shutdown extends into mid-November, worsening the situation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But his blunt dismissal of APEC risks worsening America’s reputation at a forum that represents nearly 40% of the world’s population and more than half of global goods trade.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite years of legal battles over the relocations, more than 150,000 bodies were exhumed from the 1920s to the early 1940s for the trip to Colma, each in various stages of decay.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Why didn’t evolution produce a more dependable version of the human body, less prone to malfunction and decay?—
Lucinda Rosenfeld,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Careers shift, relationships evolve and whatever’s been built on shaky grounds tends to crumble in order for something strong and enduring to take root.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
-
While Dalton was inept in his fill-in duty, the Panthers’ defense also crumbled, especially against the run.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Columbus’s historic journey to the Caribbean occurred amid significant changes in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the exploration of the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, the weakening of Islam, and the rise of Christianity in the form of Catholicism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
That was obviously the weakening of your internal khozayka.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophy. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share