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
These periods of wealth aligned with higher oil production, which has since atrophied.
—
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
What if the act of getting back onstage becomes proof that the muscle has atrophied or that someone’s sense of humor got stuck a decade ago?
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
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
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
What if the act of getting back onstage becomes proof that the muscle has atrophied or that someone’s sense of humor got stuck a decade ago?
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophied
Verb
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The lawsuit says the hospital did not tell his family that Hylton’s condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to the ICU without a doctor on-site.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
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All the while, his injuries mounted and personal life deteriorated.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Winds crumbled metal bleachers at a sports field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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In the restaurant’s early days, Millsap became romantically involved with another staffer, who left the restaurant after their relationship crumbled.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My grandfather’s heart disease worsened.—
Christian Mitchell,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
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Several of those large office buildings became vacant or under-used as insurers consolidated their operations elsewhere, and the trend worsened during the work-from-home era that began with the pandemic.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seen from behind, the gown descended into a waterfall drapery with overlapping layers of white and green satin—a tribute to the colors of the Pakistani flag.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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New York parents and advocates descended on City Hall Thursday to plead with Mayor Mamdani to break with his schools chancellor and impose a two-year moratorium on artificial intelligence in the classroom.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In an email, Gardner declined to comment on the specifics of the situation.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The prosecutor declined to comment further to AP pending further investigation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atrophied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophied. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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