1
as in to worsen
to become worse or of less value
the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deteriorate
The Baby Girl actress opened up to Vogue about her life, and unexpectedly dropped some insights about her deteriorating relationship with the country singer.
—
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Oct. 2025
On Tuesday, the New York Federal Reserve said consumer expectations had deteriorated, with worsening outlooks for both the labor market and inflation.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Many remain acutely aware of how their abilities are deteriorating.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Oct. 2025
On Tuesday, the New York Federal Reserve said consumer expectations had deteriorated, with worsening outlooks for both the labor market and inflation.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Many remain acutely aware of how their abilities are deteriorating.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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Laing also cautioned that sardines contain purines, which may cause a buildup of uric acid and worsen symptoms like joint pain and swelling for people with gout.—
Stephanie Brown,
Verywell Health,
10 Oct. 2025
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Pain may worsen at night or in the morning, not improve with rest, and differ from common muscle or digestive issues.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Douglass advises against starting from the assumption that people arrive somewhere and immediately begin to degrade the environment.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
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This process degrades the mirrors' reflectivity and clarity over time, so technicians regularly recoat and polish them to ensure the best precision.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By the end, the old Wembley was best viewed from a distance — ideally 15 or 20 years’ distance as the crumbling concrete and antiquated facilities meant the Empire Stadium belonged in the same bygone era as its official name.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The recent protests were triggered by the deaths of several pregnant women following routine C-sections in the coastal city of Agadir, spotlighting the crumbling healthcare system.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But with her coalition prospects in doubt, and the party weakened by scandal and voter frustration, her route to Japan’s top job is far from assured.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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Studies have found that, in some instances, background noise can weaken territorial responses in males.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Agency officials and spokespeople declined to speak to ProPublica.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
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Trammell Crow declined to provide further details on the permit filing, including information on a construction timeline.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tales From Beyond the Pale co-creator Glenn McQuaid unleashes a Jason Voorhees whose appearance is concealed not by a hockey mask but a squiggly blur of video noise, corrupting the handheld footage of him stalking college kids through the woods.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
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Democrats and civil libertarians said Trump corrupted the system of justice by getting involved.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On a screen above the stage, a flying saucer descended—an image that still lingers in my mind.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
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The administration understands the profound risks involved — particularly the catastrophic damage to US credibility if such an operation failed or descended into prolonged conflict.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their patches of habitat and their water sources are diminishing; their feeding timeline has grown increasingly erratic, and more barricades are being built all the time, limiting their freedom of movement.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
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And another sign the perception is of a Panthers team diminished.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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