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
The story has gained ascendancy as a vehicle for understanding the world while the ability to interpret narrative has atrophied.
—
Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
At birth, Holc weighed 6 pounds, 6 3/4 ounces and suffered from hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a fatal heart defect in which the heart’s left chamber is missing or atrophied.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 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
Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
At birth, Holc weighed 6 pounds, 6 3/4 ounces and suffered from hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a fatal heart defect in which the heart’s left chamber is missing or atrophied.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 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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Plus, the company outlook index deteriorated sharply, indicating an increasingly negative sentiment about future conditions.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
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In the years before her death, Warren’s relationship with his mother had deteriorated.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The brick crumbled and left behind red flakes on her palm.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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But in 1991, as the Iron Curtain crumbled, Yugoslavia’s six constituent states—Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Montenegro—tumbled toward war.—
Sean Williams,
Outside,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the lamprey crisis worsened, various chemical companies sent compounds to the lab, which was searching for a panacea.—
Katie Thornton,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
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RadarOnline also reported recently that the King’s health has worsened in the last few days, which tracks with this new report about how much of a toll the Prince Andrew scandal is taking on him.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The two men launched a coup together in 2021 before a power struggle between them descended into all-out war in 2023.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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After darkness descended, Morris routinely set off flares.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Rainfall has diminished across Jamaica.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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However, the 26-year-old’s potential never materialized, leaving Vrabel to explain in late August why White’s role had diminished late in training camp.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrophied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophied. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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