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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 decompose
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 May 2025
Hall died in 1990, six days after signing his estate over to his assistant, and decomposed for 72 hours before being reported to the police.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
This multi-agent architecture enables organizations to decompose complex business processes into manageable, specialized components.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Las Vegas Metro Police discovered the body of Matthew Kelemen, 56, decomposing and wrapped in a tarp inside a locked plastic bin near Fremont Street on May 20 after responding to reports of a foul odor, the department wrote in a press release.
—Christina Coulter, People.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Verb
When plants get out of control, they are easily pulled up and spread as mulch, whereupon their leaves and semi-succulent stems rapidly decompose.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 May 2025
Hall died in 1990, six days after signing his estate over to his assistant, and decomposed for 72 hours before being reported to the police.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
This multi-agent architecture enables organizations to decompose complex business processes into manageable, specialized components.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Las Vegas Metro Police discovered the body of Matthew Kelemen, 56, decomposing and wrapped in a tarp inside a locked plastic bin near Fremont Street on May 20 after responding to reports of a foul odor, the department wrote in a press release.
—Christina Coulter, People.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
-
In its most recent demonstration May 27, Starship spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball before achieving some of its most important objectives.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
-
Laura’s house is a messy, colorful disaster, reflecting a personality that was clearly once charmingly ditzy and has disintegrated into instability.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
That’s because warming increases the rate of decay of falling organic debris, so that less of it reaches the twilight zone.—
Tim Vernimmen,
JSTOR Daily,
19 June 2025
-
Certainly not for novelty’s sake; we are hardly starved for dramas of mental decay, or for the stupendous feats of acting that are often achieved in their service.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
The oversized chair duo is made from environmentally friendly materials that are weather-resistant and won’t crack, fade, peel, or rot.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2025
-
The world may have left England to rot (a subplot involving a foreign soldier implies that other nations have taken an active interest in helping that process along), but any society that allows an entire country to become an open-air graveyard is sick with a terrible virus of its own.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Originally from Denver, Colorado, Lauren has served with AmeriCorps, started Mississippi's first fermentation company, and helmed the Eudora Welty House & Garden.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
-
To sterilize your fermentation jars and lids, simply place them upside-down on a baking sheet in the oven at 250°F for 20 minutes.—
OLIA HERCULES,
Saveur,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
When the surgeons finally opened her with a piece of broken glass, the putrefaction was as warm as life.—
Nell Zink,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share