1
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the ancient Egyptians used special preservatives to spare their dead from complete corruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the corruption of the upper classes eventually led to the fall of the Roman empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in immorality
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society
Socrates was put to death because the ancient Athenians believed he was spreading corruption to their youth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of corruption
Even South Africa—which Mahmood Mamdani, the author of one of the books Sanneh reviews, holds up as a rare example of post-colonial success—has its flaws, as Thabo Mbeki’s and Jacob Zuma’s willingness to let corruption take root shows.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Mayor Eric Adams faced accusations of cozying up to Trump to drop federal corruption charges against him.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The last Sunday in what otherwise has been a low-key race for mayor of Detroit erupted with allegations that one candidate would bring a culture of corruption back to city hall, while the front-runner kept a low-profile.
—M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Chiwenga also opposes corruption by government and Zanu PF officials but was overruled at the party’s October conference.
—Tawanda Karombo, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Mayor Eric Adams faced accusations of cozying up to Trump to drop federal corruption charges against him.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The last Sunday in what otherwise has been a low-key race for mayor of Detroit erupted with allegations that one candidate would bring a culture of corruption back to city hall, while the front-runner kept a low-profile.
—M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Chiwenga also opposes corruption by government and Zanu PF officials but was overruled at the party’s October conference.
—Tawanda Karombo, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corruption
Noun
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Based on the level of decomposition, officials estimated she had been dumped from the overpass at least a month earlier, according to the release.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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Before storing the bodies in the crawl space, Gacy used lime to hasten the bodies' decomposition.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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According to the new study, certain forms of iron oxyhydroxide nanominerals can catalyze the degradation of organophosphate esters (OPEs), chemical additives used in plastics as flame retardants and softeners.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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Housing materials in artistic practice are fitting for an environment that is constantly under simultaneous construction and degradation, with sea levels continuing to rise, potholes throughout the city and as our own infrastructure buckles under the weight of an ever growing population.—
Mario Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Even aside from Trump’s own enthusiastic personal immorality and impiety, his political style — the pugnacious smear artist and demagogic braggart — was the antithesis of what evangelicals had sought before.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 Sep. 2025
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Hank isn’t being accused of mere immorality, after all; he’s being accused of rape, which was also a crime back in Kierkegaard’s days.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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The tragic death of the Sepulveda family patriarch calls his descendants back to Villa Sepulveda, a Spanish colonial manor in a coconut plantation; but a landslide traps the guests inside, transforming the funeral plans into a supernatural reckoning of sins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Once, there were two sweet kids who came of age in the evangelical purity culture of the 1990’s, a world in which being LGBTQ+ or accepting anyone who was gay was seen as a sin that could send you straight to hell.—
Kelly Foster Lundquist,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Previously, the movie ended on a grand wide shot of Hellhounds surrounding the house, symbolizing that Mia’s house was the new hub of evil like Norma’s house once was.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Nov. 2025
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The series is technically a prequel to 2017's IT and 2019's IT Chapter Two, which were adapted from Stephen King's 1986 epic novel about Derry, Maine, a small town being terrorized by an ancient, child-devouring evil that surfaces every 27 years.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.—
William Earl,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Paul Taylor What the data says Forest’s Champions League push collapsed last season after wasteful finishing, and that profligacy has carried over into the new campaign.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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And while challenges persist, there are already signs that hidebound profligacy is being replaced by newfound autarky.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corruption. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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