How to Use atrophy in a Sentence

atrophy

noun
  • The doctor is concerned about possible atrophy of the shoulder muscles.
  • And without a rich street life, the public spaces of a city atrophy.
    Michael J. Lewis, National Review, 3 Sep. 2020
  • The disease causes parts of the lobes to atrophy, causing changes in these areas.
    Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023
  • There’s a big win in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy.
    Kelly Servick, Science | AAAS, 4 Feb. 2020
  • This can lead to vaginal atrophy, where the vaginal walls become dry and thin.
    Emily Lincke, Houston Chronicle, 31 Oct. 2017
  • The future that these years of atrophy and anomie and enmity teased at arrived all at once.
    David Roth, The New Republic, 11 June 2020
  • Sometimes the muscles near their jaw atrophy, or thin out.
    Dawn Filos, Philly.com, 15 Dec. 2017
  • Skin atrophy is one of the most common side effects of topical steroid overuse.
    Verywell Health, 24 Jan. 2023
  • And that memory loss and brain atrophy are not inevitable?
    Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, 5 Jan. 2021
  • Expect the living witness of their faith to atrophy and wither because of it.
    Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 4 Sep. 2020
  • The result has been widespread atrophy in this society of refugees.
    Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2023
  • The medicine helps children with spinal muscular atrophy live a normal life.
    New York Times, 24 Jan. 2023
  • Detroit was far from the only city where the latest census showed a populace in atrophy.
    New York Times, 28 Aug. 2021
  • The atrophy was more pronounced in the artistic group than in those without artistic tendencies.
    Robert Martone, Scientific American, 26 May 2023
  • In addition, the lack of sensory input from the ear may hasten rates of brain atrophy.
    Stacey Burling, chicagotribune.com, 21 Oct. 2019
  • The financial crisis and the pandemic showed the atrophy of our systems of protection and trust.
    New York Times, 2 June 2022
  • But then their lifeline — the highway — began to atrophy.
    Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2022
  • He was diagnosed with congenital spinal atrophy at the age of three.
    Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 9 Mar. 2022
  • Her son, Malachi, was born with the most severe form of spinal muscular atrophy.
    Damian Garde, Scientific American, 4 June 2019
  • Because his right foot was immobilized for so long, there was atrophy in the right calf muscle.
    Rick Stroud, orlandosentinel.com, 19 Oct. 2021
  • Doctors say social isolation can result in a faster rate of brain atrophy.
    Julie Jargon, WSJ, 11 Dec. 2021
  • Olson says that the root of many neuropsychiatric conditions is the atrophy of neurons in the pre-frontal cortex.
    Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021
  • Others have rapid and unexplained weight loss and muscle atrophy.
    Washington Post, 12 May 2021
  • With this much Netflix, the danger of muscle atrophy is real.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 24 Mar. 2022
  • As your hearing deteriorates, the part of the brain which controls that function starts to atrophy.
    Liz Seegert, Fortune Well, 23 June 2023
  • But spending months on the sofa also causes people’s skills to atrophy.
    The Economist, 30 Dec. 2020
  • Culture is a muscle that builds slowly but atrophies quickly.
    Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023
  • That’s helpful, because the diaphragm can atrophy quickly if the muscle isn’t used.
    Julie Washington, cleveland, 25 July 2023
  • In fact, research shows that vaginal atrophy tends to worsen over time without treatment.
    Marygrace Taylor, Woman's Day, 8 Sep. 2020
  • Bone density and atrophy can be issues after sitting for two decades.
    Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 21 June 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atrophy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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