1
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the ancient Egyptians used special preservatives to spare their dead from complete corruption
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the corruption of the upper classes eventually led to the fall of the Roman empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in immorality
immoral conduct or practices harmful or offensive to society
Socrates was put to death because the ancient Athenians believed he was spreading corruption to their youth
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of corruption
When questioned by journalists from her own newsroom outside of the BBC headquarters in London on Monday, Turness rejected claims of corruption and institutional bias.
—
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
His time in office was brief, but Garfield fought against political corruption and advocated for civil rights.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
Messages attacking the Clinton Foundation with unproven allegations of corruption were specifically shown to Black voters in Little Haiti, Trump campaign sources told Bloomberg in 2016.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Out of her depth, Diane digs deeper into the investigation, her determination to uncover the truth revealing a web of corruption and danger at the highest levels, ensnaring Diane, her family and all those around her.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025
His time in office was brief, but Garfield fought against political corruption and advocated for civil rights.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
Messages attacking the Clinton Foundation with unproven allegations of corruption were specifically shown to Black voters in Little Haiti, Trump campaign sources told Bloomberg in 2016.
—David Smiley, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Out of her depth, Diane digs deeper into the investigation, her determination to uncover the truth revealing a web of corruption and danger at the highest levels, ensnaring Diane, her family and all those around her.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corruption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corruption
Noun
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Based on the level of decomposition, officials estimated she had been dumped from the overpass at least a month earlier, according to the release.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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Before storing the bodies in the crawl space, Gacy used lime to hasten the bodies' decomposition.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Labbate is head of the Climate Mitigation Unit and is global team leader of the UN-REDD Programme at UNEP, which is aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and land degradation.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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In contrast, Mitsubishi’s PHEVs showed noticeable degradation even at relatively low mileages, though this decline tended to level off later in the vehicle’s life.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Advised by Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell, who sincerely believed in the Reformation, Henry started with accusations of corruption and immorality in the Church, then used intimidation and changes to the law to transfer all the wealth and land to himself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Oct. 2025
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Even aside from Trump’s own enthusiastic personal immorality and impiety, his political style — the pugnacious smear artist and demagogic braggart — was the antithesis of what evangelicals had sought before.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Keep the mulch at least two inches away from woody stems to prevent decay and disease.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Tyranids represent man's fear of the natural world, nature's inexorable ability to overwhelm, decay, and devour all of man's greatest works.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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If, in Christian doctrine, the soul’s purpose is to transcend the body, then a soulless creature has no sin to commit.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
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The anthology’s first volume explores themes of ancestral sin, family, piety and consequence.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Rattenfänger is also planning a brutal cyberattack that will affect all of the Western world — leading Bond to team up with the remaining double agents and a handful of allies to stop the evil at hand.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
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The trio make their first trip from Shanghai to San Francisco, coming face to face with colorful monsters and spirits of both good and evil from Chinese folklore.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That was really what helped me into the character and into her evilness.—
William Earl,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Fiscal profligacy and political meddling in monetary policy are eroding the foundations of dollar dominance.—
LAEL BRAINARD,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Nov. 2025
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Paul Taylor What the data says Forest’s Champions League push collapsed last season after wasteful finishing, and that profligacy has carried over into the new campaign.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Corruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corruption. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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