as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
the decomposed remains of an old tree trunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decayed
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decomposed
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown said Melodee's decomposed body was found in a rural area outside of Cainville in Wayne County, discovered by a man and a woman taking photos.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Constance catches Trisha on her way out and shows her Willem's decomposed body, which has finally been dug up and delivered home by Garret.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
The decomposed body found in singer D4vd's Tesla at a Los Angeles impound lot was identified as that of a 15-year-old girl.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025
McCormack’s decomposed body was found in a pink suitcase near Missouri Highway 59 between Lanagan, Missouri, and Noel, Missouri, on July 29, 2019, according to the plea agreement.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2025
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
The body was decomposed, a fire official said.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2026
Since some of the soil has likely decomposed so a fresh layer may be needed in late February or before growth begins.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
But Jewish artist Nina Sanadze saw a chance to immortalize the bouquets, even as their petals faded and decomposed.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Rather than routing entire documents to a single model, documents will be decomposed into constituent parts such as titles, paragraphs, tables and images and be routed to the model or agent best suited to understand it.
—Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Ackerman’s remains were significantly decomposed and partially mummified, according to the autopsy report.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The child's body was decomposed, per the Sheriff's Office.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Rigsby’s body had been poorly embalmed and was at least partially decomposed.
—Sofie Buckminster, semafor.com, 16 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Inside the container were the badly decomposed remains of an infant.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown said Melodee's decomposed body was found in a rural area outside of Cainville in Wayne County, discovered by a man and a woman taking photos.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025
Constance catches Trisha on her way out and shows her Willem's decomposed body, which has finally been dug up and delivered home by Garret.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
The decomposed body found in singer D4vd's Tesla at a Los Angeles impound lot was identified as that of a 15-year-old girl.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025
McCormack’s decomposed body was found in a pink suitcase near Missouri Highway 59 between Lanagan, Missouri, and Noel, Missouri, on July 29, 2019, according to the plea agreement.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Fifty-six days later, homicide investigators arrive at Oliver’s apartment to find an unidentified body—brutally murdered and intentionally decomposed.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
The body was decomposed, a fire official said.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 28 Jan. 2026
Since some of the soil has likely decomposed so a fresh layer may be needed in late February or before growth begins.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
But Jewish artist Nina Sanadze saw a chance to immortalize the bouquets, even as their petals faded and decomposed.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Rather than routing entire documents to a single model, documents will be decomposed into constituent parts such as titles, paragraphs, tables and images and be routed to the model or agent best suited to understand it.
—Melody Brue, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Ackerman’s remains were significantly decomposed and partially mummified, according to the autopsy report.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The child's body was decomposed, per the Sheriff's Office.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025
Rigsby’s body had been poorly embalmed and was at least partially decomposed.
—Sofie Buckminster, semafor.com, 16 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decomposed
Adjective
-
Repairs to the balcony included removing and replacing rotten support beams, according to an invoice from Ameridian.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
In the 19th century, scientists initially thought Prototaxites was the rotten trunk of a conifer.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Some had decayed for years, others several months, according to the affidavit.—
Jesse Bedayn,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
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While many have decayed, some have been lovingly restored, such as Palermo’s Neo-Gothic Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata, which has remained in the same family since the 15th century.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Bacteria can grow on spills, spoiled food, and hidden crumbs.—
Kendall Bettle,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Why Gasket Maintenance Is Essential A dirty gasket leads to deterioration of the seal, which can cause temperature fluctuations, spoiled food, and bacterial growth.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Stars had rebounded from a season-worst, six-match winless skid to construct a three-game points streak, which disintegrated on Tuesday in just their second loss in eight tail ends of back-to-back sets.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
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Eberflus’ best intentions and vision for winning football disintegrated due in part to his team’s lack of discipline and the coaching staff’s inability to steer out of even the smallest skids.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Politically, the regime has rotted from within, discarding, discrediting, or detaining its own kind.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
-
That includes money to replace a lot of wood that rotted away due to holes in the roof and walls.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decomposed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decomposed. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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