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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deteriorated
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Recent Examples of degenerated
Hannah Parry
amanda Castro
anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
By Monday, the storm had degenerated in to remnants which were located about 615 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, with no threat to land, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
—Hannah Parry
amanda Castro
anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerated
Verb
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Sky’s friendship with her former Damage Control stablemates deteriorated in recent weeks as Sky’s relationship with Ripley has grown.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
But as the issues with Prince Harry have reportedly been getting better in the last few months, with the two even meeting in person for the first time in over a year in September, the relationship with his oldest son and heir, Prince William, has reportedly deteriorated.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His idea centers on Russia’s long-standing labor shortages, which have worsened since the war broke out and many working-age men have either been mobilized or fled overseas.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The accident victim had passed away, the caller said, which meant Anthony’s son’s predicament had worsened, and the amount needed for bail had gone up—$15,800 was now required.—
Madhusree Mukerjee,
Scientific American,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Those kept in the more acidic water were significantly more corroded, and had far more cracks and holes, especially at the root and tooth base.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some 30 hostages were released before the two-month ceasefire crumbled, including Yarden Bibas and Sagui Dekel-Chen, who were also both abducted from Nir Oz.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
15 Oct. 2025
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The organization itself has since crumbled.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are systems in place to help address the issue of contaminated medications.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
10 Oct. 2025
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Consumers who have received the affected HelloFresh meals are urged not to consume the contaminated product and to throw them away immediately.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When Ghana declared independence, in 1957, dignitaries from around the world descended on the capital, Accra.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Last week in Chicago, federal agents descended in a Blackhawk to clear out an entire apt complex, dragging children out of their beds and zip-tying residents for hours without articulating any probable cause.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The polluted site will be made safe with an 18-inch surface cover of clean soil over a demarcation barrier.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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Simultaneously, a second, much smaller pocket of polluted air was situated just south of Portland, Oregon.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Through his attorney, Farley has consistently declined to comment on the allegations against him.—
Meena Duerson,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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As a boy, Kai’s father, Hans-Jürgen — who was the fourth of Rudolph’s five children — declined to go into much detail about Rudolph’s past with his son.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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