as in to disintegrate
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decay
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the unmistakable smell of decomposition led us to some fruit that had fallen behind the refrigerator
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decompose
Janelle Griffith, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The victim’s face was decomposed, so an official ID was still pending Wednesday, police said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
His family confirmed his death to PEOPLE and in a social media statement on Saturday, Aug. 9, one day after a decomposing body was discovered near the area where the teenager was last seen.
—Nicholas Rice, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
However, the man’s face was badly decomposed and his identification by the city medical examiner is still pending.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Verb
The decomposing body of what appears to be a male was found in a retention pond off of I-75 and State Road 70 on Friday, Aug. 8, according to spokesperson Randy Warren of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), per WWSB and WRAL.
—Janelle Griffith, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The victim’s face was decomposed, so an official ID was still pending Wednesday, police said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
His family confirmed his death to PEOPLE and in a social media statement on Saturday, Aug. 9, one day after a decomposing body was discovered near the area where the teenager was last seen.
—Nicholas Rice, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
However, the man’s face was badly decomposed and his identification by the city medical examiner is still pending.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
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Hers is prose in which sentences judder and disintegrate and run over each other.—
Book Marks
August 28,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
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Starship's most recent demonstration came on May 27, when the spacecraft spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The organization sought help from city and private agencies, banks, philanthropies and local businesses to rescue a community that had become a national symbol of urban decay.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2025
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But beyond its aesthetically pleasing packaging, this toothpaste works wonders by whitening teeth and helping prevent tooth decay, tartar, and plaque.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But when confronted with some 1,500 rotting rats, the zookeepers had a change of heart.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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There are as many ways to compost as there are ways for food to rot, so Strategist writer and veteran composter Erin Schwartz spoke to six composting experts, policymakers, and home cooks for their tips on navigating the beautiful mess.—
Erin Schwartz,
Curbed,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The authors decided to investigate precisely how the various factors governing foam stability might be influenced by the fermentation process.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
26 Aug. 2025
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The company uses a proprietary fermentation process for a beverage that tastes like coffee but without caffeine or the environmental impact associated with coffee production.—
Forbes Asia Team,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Likely only dead individuals, floating as gases formed by putrefaction accumulated in body cavities, entered the lagoon.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
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Fifty-three industrial plants are invited to squat there, in the center of the city, and the smell of decomposition and putrefaction and acidification, a stew of sulfur, chlorine, lye, and ammonia, suffuses the air.—
Caroline Fraser
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.
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