as in deteriorates
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 atrophies
The hippocampus is primarily responsible for memory and learning, and commonly shrinks, or atrophies, after a stroke.
—
New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025
New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophies
Verb
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The Backyard cast also features Katie MacNichol as Gladys’ daughter Ellen, Alexander Ameen as Ellen’s husband Howard, and William Huffaker as a young painter from Boston named Don Bowman whom Gladys seeks to help even as her mental state deteriorates.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Nov. 2025
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As the situation deteriorates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany among others have urged their nationals to leave Bamako.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Toby’s display, overall, looks a lot nicer, but when Paul goes to take a slice of his cake from the chocolate case, the whole thing crumbles to a mess.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
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At times, the house would break apart onstage, with the top half lifted in the air, only for YoungBoy to start aggressively rapping, standing supreme while the house crumbles around him.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sixteen million people risk losing all food assistance even as global hunger worsens.—
ARIF HUSAIN,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
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Others may find that dairy worsens their symptoms, possibly due to its high fat content.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Carol is casually chatting with her manager and romantic partner, Helen (Miriam Shor), when the pathogen descends on everyone, creating a horrific scene of silent, seizing bodies.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
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Regardless, this film also boasts a oner for the ages, as a raincoat mafia descends upon a rave and a pair of bloodthirsty lovers.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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To confront vaquita declines, in 2019 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species established an agreement to help eliminate supply and demand for totoabas and help remove gill nets from the upper Gulf of California.—
Ryan Green,
Scientific American,
6 Nov. 2025
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Then if a player who declines a qualifying offer signs elsewhere, their new team must forfeit at least one draft pick and their previous team is granted one as compensation.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrophies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophies. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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