as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value
in the years following the closing of the last textile mill, the town atrophied
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Recent Examples of atrophied
Over the past three decades, the defense industrial bases of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States have atrophied.
—
Gary Roughead, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
The 2022 invasion reinvigorated a domestic defense industry that had atrophied beyond recognition since Soviet times.
—Tamar Jacoby, Forbes.com, 27 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
At the same time, the Nation’s nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure has severely atrophied, leaving the United States heavily dependent on foreign sources of uranium as well as uranium enrichment and conversion services.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
Murena's tablet pushed me to use Google Search—whose ads, AI, and seemingly arbitrary algorithms have atrophied its search experience in recent years—less.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
Gary Roughead, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
The 2022 invasion reinvigorated a domestic defense industry that had atrophied beyond recognition since Soviet times.
—Tamar Jacoby, Forbes.com, 27 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
At the same time, the Nation’s nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure has severely atrophied, leaving the United States heavily dependent on foreign sources of uranium as well as uranium enrichment and conversion services.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025
Murena's tablet pushed me to use Google Search—whose ads, AI, and seemingly arbitrary algorithms have atrophied its search experience in recent years—less.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophied
Verb
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Sky’s friendship with her former Damage Control stablemates deteriorated in recent weeks as Sky’s relationship with Ripley has grown.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
But as the issues with Prince Harry have reportedly been getting better in the last few months, with the two even meeting in person for the first time in over a year in September, the relationship with his oldest son and heir, Prince William, has reportedly deteriorated.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Things had crumbled enough that Sasaki emerged as a logical option.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Had Darnold not crumbled in the postseason, re-signing him to a multi-year deal and deferring McCarthy to a three-year development plan would have been reasonable.—
Trevor Squire,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His idea centers on Russia’s long-standing labor shortages, which have worsened since the war broke out and many working-age men have either been mobilized or fled overseas.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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The accident victim had passed away, the caller said, which meant Anthony’s son’s predicament had worsened, and the amount needed for bail had gone up—$15,800 was now required.—
Madhusree Mukerjee,
Scientific American,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When Ghana declared independence, in 1957, dignitaries from around the world descended on the capital, Accra.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Last week in Chicago, federal agents descended in a Blackhawk to clear out an entire apt complex, dragging children out of their beds and zip-tying residents for hours without articulating any probable cause.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That risk includes the fact that the role required a dramatic physical transformation—involving facial prosthetics to better resemble Kerr, which could’ve diminished his usual appeal.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
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In some cases, immunity from prior vaccination may have diminished over time, leaving them more susceptible if vaccine coverage falls and infections spread more widely.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrophied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophied. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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