as in to deteriorate
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degeneration
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of atrophy
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
If it’s not exercised, left to right, top to bottom, atrophy sets in.
—Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 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
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Verb
Prolonged screen sessions frequently coincide with a more sedentary lifestyle, which elevates the risk of muscle atrophy, eye strain, and cardiovascular complications.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025
If it’s not exercised, left to right, top to bottom, atrophy sets in.
—Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
The real-life consequences of automation atrophying human critical skills are already well-established.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 26 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
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophy
Verb
-
Kabul wants to hedge against its deteriorating relationship with its former patron Islamabad, which accuses the Taliban of harboring a separate but allied group that has carried out deadly attacks inside Pakistan.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Those delaminations deteriorated between dive 80 and dive 88, its final dive, resulting in a local buckling failure that led to the implosion.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Looking ahead, the research team plans to test the new compounds in animal and human studies, in hopes that this could lead to a new approach for slowing or repairing brain degeneration for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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And, based on MRI scans taken at the beginning and end of the study, the intervention group appeared to have slower degeneration of cartilage in their knees.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hoyer declined to speculate on whether the major-league payroll would receive a boost after Wrigley Field hosted two playoff rounds.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The sentiment has affected Gulf IPOs, which are expected to decline to their lowest level since 2021.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Whitney Portal will observe sharp deterioration in conditions with extreme danger to hikers and campers unprepared for the winter weather.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Casualties among Gaza’s police force during the two-year conflict have contributed to a deterioration in security, with looting of aid becoming commonplace.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Indiana Daily Student has over $400,000 to spend, but the former adviser of the paper said administrators hamstrung his ability to use those funds, worsening the newspaper's deficit spending.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease causing pain, swelling and stiffness in the knees that worsens over time.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The setting catches America at a point of transition between an era of middle-class prosperity and the economic decay that was on the horizon.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Some nuclei will be stable against decays, others will undergo one or more decays (radioactively) before producing a stable end-product.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dilapidated wooden trim and sagging porticos were spruced up a few years ago after preservationists complained to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, but the upstairs windows reveal glimpses of peeling paint, crumbling plaster, and collapsing ceilings inside.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
20 Oct. 2025
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But in 2016, a bombshell study in Nature concluded that crumbling ice cliffs could trigger a runaway process of retreat, dramatically hastening the timeline.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That was obviously the weakening of your internal khozayka.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Despite its weakening power, heavy rain associated with the storm has already stretched as far north as the Desert Southwest.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophy. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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