1
as in degradation
a change to a lower state or level
the sad degeneracy of the old neighborhood into a slum
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corruption
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the degeneracy of the family into a gang of petty thieves
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degeneracy
Love ’em or hate ’em, these House troublemakers bucked their party leadership, stared down their president and made possible Tuesday’s vote to compel the administration to come clean about the web of degeneracy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.
—
Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2025
Reformers seized on this as both a public-health and a moral crisis; for many Progressives, dirt itself was a sign of degeneracy.
—Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Why subject your kids to degeneracy and violence?
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Trump has been tied to Epstein, and though there is no evidence exposing the president’s participation in Epstein’s acts of degeneracy, the question remains on the minds of many Americans — Was Trump complicit?
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneracy
Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2025
Reformers seized on this as both a public-health and a moral crisis; for many Progressives, dirt itself was a sign of degeneracy.
—Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Why subject your kids to degeneracy and violence?
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Trump has been tied to Epstein, and though there is no evidence exposing the president’s participation in Epstein’s acts of degeneracy, the question remains on the minds of many Americans — Was Trump complicit?
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degeneracy
Noun
-
If Wyatt and Surrey could pen brilliant sonnets under Tudor tyranny, then certainly great art can be produced under capitalism despite its particular degradations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Major degradation to their ability to produce the ballistic missiles that have been striking so many of their Gulf neighbors, Israel and elsewhere.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That technical term means a calculation error can cause memory corruption inside the system.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Five years ago, Martin had been involved in a major gang case that prosecutors eventually dismissed following the fallout from the corruption and racist texting scandal involving Antioch police.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Han’s overarching argument is that the deterioration of our social fabric is due to ritual evaporating from everyday life.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
While virtually every major project targets South Beach, deterioration has begun in Normandy Isle, to the north.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Federal regulations require special counsels to provide the attorney general with a report that explain prosecution or declination decisions once their work is concluded.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Of the 395 complaints the division received, 306 were resolved through determinations or declinations.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Canada is the largest source of international tourism to Las Vegas, and the decline of these tourists is a significant blow to the city.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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Growth in enterprise networking, broadband, and server storage revenues were offset by the seasonal decline in wireless (as is the case following the launch of an iPhone given that the component orders are placed ahead of the launch).—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those of Iranian descent number more than 700,000 in Southern California, the largest single population outside Iran.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Many of the marchers are of Mexican or Hispanic descent, so the treatment and mass deportation of undocumented immigrants greatly concerns them.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With chocolate on top of chocolate, this recipe offers double the decadence, but requires a bit more hands-on time.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
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Consumers also love the decadence and richness of the chocolate combined with the freshness and sweetness of the strawberries.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degeneracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degeneracy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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