as in deteriorated
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as in worsened
to become worse or of less value
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
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Recent Examples of degenerated
Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The bear bowled Propst over backward, and the encounter degenerated into lopsided hand-to-fang combat.
—John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The bear bowled Propst over backward, and the encounter degenerated into lopsided hand-to-fang combat.
—John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerated
Adjective
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The rehab project at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was sorely needed to repair deteriorated stone, metal and glass that adorns the limestone exterior.—
Dylan Lovan,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Crews will also remove the deteriorated deck concrete and install new slabs and joints.—
Brian Sherrod,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Drought conditions worsened significantly in Nebraska last month, contributing to the state's largest wildfire on record.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
People who have been stable for years are suddenly re-exposed to risk, not because their disease worsened, but because coverage did.—
John Fomeche,
STAT,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If the dinosaurs and woolly mammoths that once roamed the Earth had since crumbled into dust, then what hope was there for humanity?—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Within a short time of the fire, the walls were left burnt and crumbled.—
CBS Chicago Team,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Santa Ynez complex, then owned by a different company, spilled more than 100,000 gallons of oil near Refugio State Beach in 2015 after a corroded pipeline burst, prompting the state to shut down operations until certain conditions were met.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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The infrastructure is part of an offshore oil operation that had been closed since 2015, when a corroded section of one of the pipelines burst and caused one of the state’s worst oil spills.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Buxton had just descended some 130 feet from a hovering helicopter to help her.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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When Orion descended using a method of skipping in and out of the atmosphere to reduce speed, NASA thinks that caused the unexpected heat shield damage.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The funding places the Salisbury-area project within a broader statewide effort to address PFAS, a class of chemicals increasingly found in public water systems, particularly in rural communities, as Maryland officials move to replace or treat contaminated supplies.—
Josh Davis,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Apr. 2026
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Soil can erode, water can become contaminated, and wildlife can still be harmed.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ndiaye also declined to clear the ball, instead trying to thread a pass to retreating teammate Jake Dengler inside the 18-yard box.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
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In some places, fish catches declined precipitously in medium depths, which Joye attributes to nutritionally barren conditions.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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State officials issued islandwide brown water advisories for Oahu and Maui after storms sent polluted runoff into coastal waters.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The South Asian nation ranked the world’s most polluted country in 2025, according to the report.—
Esha Mitra,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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