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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decay
Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2025
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
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
Each probe is powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) fueled by decaying plutonium-238.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decay
Noun
Mount Clare has long carried the weight of economic disinvestment, systemic neglect and the legacies of redlining and urban decay.
—Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 28 July 2025
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
Verb
All of this allows Lithgow and Rush to take this decaying senior rivalry to the heights, even veering into campiness as Lithgow stages a musical performance of a children’s song with Jenny as his partner.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
Each probe is powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) fueled by decaying plutonium-238.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decay
Noun
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It can also be used to describe the content itself as something likely to lead to intellectual deterioration.—
Mia Thurow,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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In 2025, activist groups from Mallorca wrote an open letter urging travelers not to visit the island during the peak summer season—an attempt to alleviate the worsening cost-of-living crisis, the lack of housing, and environmental deterioration.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
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
Verb
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But after the Sriracha-maker callously withheld payments from Underwood, the relationship deteriorated and litigation followed.—
Kate Vitasek,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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But this week, the situation in Donetsk has rapidly deteriorated, with Russian forces making important advances to the north east of Dobropilia, altering control of the area Witkoff has been discussing with the Kremlin.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But Whitworth faded in the final round, shooting over par for the first time in the Open, and Bradley came from behind to win after a tense duel with Beth Daniel on the back nine.—
Hank Beckman,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
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For people dealing with mental health issues, often those feelings don’t fade on their own.—
Erik S. Hanley,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While Season 1 was based on the Belgian series Clan, Horgan wrote a fresh trajectory for the siblings in Season 2, leading them through a new set of challenges, including, but not limited to, a con-man, a decomposing body and falling off a cliff.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
23 Aug. 2025
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The husband and wife owners of Return to Nature funeral home in Penrose were arrested after authorities found 190 decomposing bodies of adults, infants and fetuses, some stacked on top of each other, in October 2023 after neighbors reported a putrid smell coming from the building.—
Lauren Penington,
Denver Post,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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It's set 152 years following the turbulent events seen in Season 2, when The Foundation has greatly enhanced its influence and the Cleon clones' Galactic Empire is crumbling as Seldon and his paranormal protege Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) have predicted.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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An unreliable grid, crumbling infrastructure, and inefficient factories aren’t just economic problems.—
Jake Loosararian,
Fortune,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
13 Aug. 2025
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For Trump, whose political brand has long relied on projecting authenticity to his base, a sustained decline in honesty ratings could weaken his ability to roll out his agenda.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Decay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decay. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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