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
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Recent Examples of decompose
The decomposing body of what appears to be a male was found in a retention pond off of I-75 and State Road 70 on Friday, Aug. 8, according to spokesperson Randy Warren of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), per WWSB and WRAL.
—
Janelle Griffith, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The victim’s face was decomposed, so an official ID was still pending Wednesday, police said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
His family confirmed his death to PEOPLE and in a social media statement on Saturday, Aug. 9, one day after a decomposing body was discovered near the area where the teenager was last seen.
—Nicholas Rice, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
However, the man’s face was badly decomposed and his identification by the city medical examiner is still pending.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Janelle Griffith, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The victim’s face was decomposed, so an official ID was still pending Wednesday, police said.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
His family confirmed his death to PEOPLE and in a social media statement on Saturday, Aug. 9, one day after a decomposing body was discovered near the area where the teenager was last seen.
—Nicholas Rice, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
However, the man’s face was badly decomposed and his identification by the city medical examiner is still pending.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
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The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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The grippy silicone sleeves reduce the slip factor, and (most importantly) can go in the dishwasher endlessly — no worries about stickers disintegrating or markers fading, thus (ostensibly) reducing the chance the black hole claims yet another water bottle victim.—
Alex Apatoff,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Mar. 2025
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The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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