atrophy 1 of 2

verb

Definition of atrophynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

atrophy

2 of 2

noun

as in degeneration

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of atrophy
Verb
Spending more than six months in space comes with other potential health risks, including the weakening and loss of bone and atrophying muscles. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 26 May 2026 Building that processing infrastructure at commercial scale in the US involves not only capital expenditure but also workforce development in a sector where domestic technical expertise has atrophied. — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
Noun
When knees, ankles and other joints with muscles around them are immobilized, those muscles can atrophy. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 July 2026 This is social atrophy and Perel says most leaders don’t yet have a plan for it. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophy
  1. deteriorate
  2. degeneration
  3. decline
  4. deterioration
  5. crumble
  6. decay
  7. worsen
  8. weakening
Verb
  • But the journey can turn rough when wind and sea conditions deteriorate, Agnos said, particularly around the Cyclades, where seasonal Meltemi winds can churn up the Aegean.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • After approximately three weeks in the field, a supervisor allegedly sent her home after observing that her physical condition was deteriorating.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorate
Noun
  • People are doing this now to treat – this is not our work – but to treat like forms of retinal degeneration and blindness actually.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Lawmakers and advocates urged assemblymembers Monday to pass a bill that would formalize data collection for frontotemporal degeneration.
    — Sofia Williams, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of degeneration
Verb
  • Farage did not give a victory speech after declining to attend the declaration, claiming police had warned of a campaign to disrupt it.
    — Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • And the university, which declined an interview request about the new program, is not the first to offer content creation courses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of decline
Noun
  • Hillsborough had come to embody all that was wrong with Sheffield Wednesday in recent times, a symbol of underinvestment and deterioration.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Initially, Cao assumed that the deterioration of particular proteins and protein networks was responsible for aging, in line with the prevailing model.
    — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of deterioration
Verb
  • In a time yet to be named, when the couple’s love crumbled in the dead of night during a blackout, the planet became populated once more.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of crumbling in defeat, Rivera roared back with defiance.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumble
Noun
  • By tracking these positrons, researchers could determine their vertical decay angles and search for the tiny signal expected from an EDM.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Many lines of research align with the theory that aging is a direct result of decay — the inevitable degradation of molecules (including proteins or DNA), organelles, cells, or whole organs — from external assault or inexorable breakdown.
    — Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of decay
Verb
  • Haze has worsened in Malaysia’s Sarawak state, which shares a border with Indonesia’s Kalimantan province on Borneo.
    — Trisnadi, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • More than 50 hectares (124 acres) of peatland have burned in Jambi province on Sumatra island, causing choking haze in some areas and raising concerns about worsening air quality.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsen
Noun
  • Then slow weakening is forecast as the storm moves over cooler waters and encounters dry air and wind shear.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But lawmakers overrode those objections, and the disputes ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which environmental advocates increasingly view as the last line of defense against the weakening of environmental protections in Brazil.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakening

Browse Nearby Words

atrophies
atrophy
atrophying
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophy. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on atrophy

Nglish: Translation of atrophy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about atrophy

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