1
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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Recent Examples of decays
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 most common isotope, plutonium-239, is produced when the most common isotope of uranium, uranium-238, absorbs a neutron and then quickly decays to plutonium.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 2025
This could include some sort of novel, exotic form of mass or energy, a non-standard form of dark matter or dark energy that decays or otherwise interacts, or a modification to one or more laws of physics.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025
Competitive advantage now decays in months, not years.
—Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
As the emitter naturally decays, electrons (in the form of beta particles) strike the absorber.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2025
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 most common isotope, plutonium-239, is produced when the most common isotope of uranium, uranium-238, absorbs a neutron and then quickly decays to plutonium.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 2025
This could include some sort of novel, exotic form of mass or energy, a non-standard form of dark matter or dark energy that decays or otherwise interacts, or a modification to one or more laws of physics.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025
Competitive advantage now decays in months, not years.
—Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
As the emitter naturally decays, electrons (in the form of beta particles) strike the absorber.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decays
Verb
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The research team developed a route-planning system for Astrobee, the ISS’s robotic assistant, that leverages sequential convex programming—a method that decomposes complex trajectory planning into smaller, tractable steps while guaranteeing safety and feasibility.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Dec. 2025
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Shilajit is a mineral-rich resin that forms over centuries as plant material slowly decomposes under heat and pressure within the rocks of the Himalayan Mountains.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Emily Demirdonder, director of operations and marketing at Proximity Plumbing, said the rubber backing deteriorates in hot water and breaks apart during the spin cycle, and those fragments can block drain pumps and drainage pipes—sometimes leading to flooding and machine failure.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
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Staying at home when weather deteriorates will allow essential personnel to travel more safely to work.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That relatively minor problem fades into the background when he’s suddenly called back to his hometown to raise an estranged teenage daughter (Hannah Elise Adolfsen Fjeldbraaten) who doesn’t want to know him.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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For most people, the effect is mild and fades as your body processes the caffeine.—
Brandi Jones,
Verywell Health,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
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The debris — space rocks known as meteoroids — collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The song was inspired by surviving a toxic relationship, and then finding a true-hearted love that crumbles emotional walls.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
15 Jan. 2026
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Academic success means little if a child crumbles under stress.—
Dr. Mona Amin,
CNBC,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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When CEOs treat financial advice as a substitute for judgment, leadership starts to erode, decisions slow down, and conviction weakens.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s focus on the Western Hemisphere — as a show of might that weakens China’s geostrategic influence, Nikkei wrote.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Jan. 2026
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Critics have long warned that too much television rots your brain, but new evidence suggests at least some time in front of the tube may actually benefit your mental health.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As an Earth-orbiting spacecraft descends, temperatures of up to 3,500°F bloom across the heat shield at the bottom of the capsule.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
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Pittsburgh will have the 21st pick when a draft that appears to be thin in quality options at quarterback descends on the Steel City in late April.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decays. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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