1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
middle-aged people who fervently hope that daily exercise will arrest the physical decay that usually accompanies advancing age
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the cycle by which the decay of dead plants on the forest floor provides soil and nutrients for the next generation of plants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber
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2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
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3
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of decay
Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
The right-hand side of the picture is dominated by an enormous red-brick arch in a moderate but evident state of decay.
—Tyler Green, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
During a collision, gas clouds could be thrown down toward each galaxy’s center and ultimately fall into decaying orbits around each awaiting black hole, forming huge disks there that would become extremely hot and potentially extremely bright.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decay
Noun
And the issue with that is that political parties and political institutions have been in decay across the Western world for decades.
—Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
The right-hand side of the picture is dominated by an enormous red-brick arch in a moderate but evident state of decay.
—Tyler Green, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Verb
The woman, her husband, Peter Temple, and the couple's 12 children, ages five to 17, were able to spend time at home with Pandora before her funeral thanks to a cooling bassinet, a medical device that preserves a baby's body and slows the decaying process through cold temperatures.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
During a collision, gas clouds could be thrown down toward each galaxy’s center and ultimately fall into decaying orbits around each awaiting black hole, forming huge disks there that would become extremely hot and potentially extremely bright.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decay
Noun
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The global public square has been getting coarser for years, and social media has played a big part in the deterioration.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
1 June 2026
-
The damage required removal of the affected portion in hopes of preventing further deterioration.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The octopus had been preserved in formaldehyde, which halts decomposition.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
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Depending on soil temperature and moisture, the number of microorganisms in the soil, and the carbon content of the wastes, decomposition will occur in one month to one year to feed plant root systems.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Also, consider applying a lawn fungicide to help prevent rot problems.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
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My rotting greens won’t save anyone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Officials have described the overhaul as a long-overdue restoration effort aimed at addressing decades of deferred maintenance, including deteriorating infrastructure, water damage, failing HVAC systems and structural concerns throughout the building.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
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Farm credit quality is deteriorating — row crop farmers are experiencing a third consecutive year of declining crop receipts, and farm loan delinquency rates have reached their highest levels since 2021.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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While desirable homes still sell quickly, frenzied bidding wars have faded.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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Deadheading Is Another Form Of Pinching Back Deadheading is similar to pinching back, but it is done once the flowers begin to fade.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
Noun
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This weakening of currency, combined with inflated jet fuel prices, has also led to one of the country’s major airlines, Air India, to cancel more than a quarter of its international flights between June and August.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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Wall Street’s primary concern is competition from Anthropic and OpenAI weakening demand and pricing power for its customer relationship management software, which for years drove robust growth at high margins.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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One of the latest challenges is hydrogen sulfide – a foul-smelling gas given off by decomposing bat droppings inside the chamber, that caused some crew members to faint, Kengkad told CNN.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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Microbes create oxygen in the atmosphere, decompose waste material, and help plants absorb nutrients.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Hyde has McCallany playing Detective Grimes, a haunted investigator descending into the decaying underbelly of a crumbling metropolis while hunting a brutal serial killer.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
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They were set in crumbling castles and moldering dungeons—that is, amid the rubble of a collapsing social order.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decay. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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