DECAYS Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

decays

verb

present tense third-person singular of decay

as in decomposes

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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as in deteriorates

to become worse or of less value the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years

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as in fades

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 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 decays In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei. —

Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026 This state then decays through a two-step cascade, releasing two photons in rapid succession. —

Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026 But Daye naturally decays at the end of each season, unless she is rebuilt using the branches, berries, and blooms of the next. —

Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026 The value of the model rapidly decays if it isn't routinely retrained and recalibrated on fresh data representative of the new inputs. —

Michael Connell, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026 Grief gets layered on top of grief and secrets stack sky high as suburban normalcy decays into something at once alarmingly unstable and comfortingly funny. —

Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025 This famously happens when a quantum object is measured, but in this case, the mystery crops up when the top quark decays into lighter particles. —

Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Nov. 2025 The RTGs are mounted on a boom and use plutonium-238 oxide that slowly decays and produces heat. —

George Petras, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025 The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating. —

Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decays

Verb

Organic material trapped in reservoirs accumulates and decomposes over time, releasing methane — a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to global warming, Fernández-Garrido told CNN.

— Radina Gigova, CNN Money, 27 May 2026
Another process, thermogenic hydrogen formation, occurs in deep sedimentary basins when organic material decomposes under high temperatures, roughly 480 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit (250 to 500 degrees Celsius).

— Promise Longe, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026