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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in decay
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the unmistakable smell of decomposition led us to some fruit that had fallen behind the refrigerator
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples of decompose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Christine Fiorentino, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2024
Police in California were able to locate a decomposing body this week after a dog uncovered — and carried — its human head to a nearby sidewalk.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024
Reports of stained or tea-colored water in the area have also come in, the news release said, which is likely happening because tannic acids — a byproduct of decomposing vegetation — are being released from flooded wetlands.
—Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 19 July 2024
The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral home’s garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families’ permission.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for decompose 
Verb
The Science Behind This Tip Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of ripening fruit and decomposing produce.
—Christine Fiorentino, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2024
Police in California were able to locate a decomposing body this week after a dog uncovered — and carried — its human head to a nearby sidewalk.
—Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 27 July 2024
Reports of stained or tea-colored water in the area have also come in, the news release said, which is likely happening because tannic acids — a byproduct of decomposing vegetation — are being released from flooded wetlands.
—Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 19 July 2024
The effort follows discoveries of unrefrigerated bodies decomposing in a Flint funeral home’s garage and a Detroit funeral home storing more than 50 infant and fetal remains without families’ permission.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for decompose
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decompose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 9 Sep. 2024.
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