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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decompose
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In the early 1800s, the French mathematician Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier discovered a way to take any function and decompose it into a set of fundamental waves, or frequencies.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
On August 13, the bodies of the four men were discovered in the Parisian municipality of Choisy-le-Roi in varying states of decomposition.
—Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Verb
The farm worked with Ducks Unlimited for a different conservation easement applicable to its rice fields, and was an early adopter of post-harvest flood practices to decompose rice straw left over from harvest.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In the early 1800s, the French mathematician Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier discovered a way to take any function and decompose it into a set of fundamental waves, or frequencies.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
The issue of decomposition The research centered on a type of battery known as LNMO (composed of lithium, nickel, manganese, and oxygen).
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
On August 13, the bodies of the four men were discovered in the Parisian municipality of Choisy-le-Roi in varying states of decomposition.
—Philippe Cordier, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
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These plans disintegrated in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of 251 hostages.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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But explaining Dyer’s motivations in the face of a disintegrating family portrayed in & Sons remains a bit of an uphill climb for Nighy.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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To determine if a root canal is needed, dentists conduct a thorough exam, often with X-rays, to evaluate decay, damage and the tooth’s internal condition.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Its alignment with figures like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un symbolizes the isolation and reputational decay of a regime that relies on coercion rather than consent.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Check each tomato for pest damage or disease such as blossom end rot.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
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It can also be used to describe the brain-rotting content itself.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Known for excellent hazy IPAs as well as a stellar mixed fermentation/sour program, Hill Farmstead is worth the drive as some beer people consider a visit to their small but inviting tasting room almost a religious pilgrimage.—
Em Sauter,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Process the seeds using the same fermentation technique as for tomato seeds.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2025.
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