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
Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
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
Verb
Macron’s highest aspirations to, as a modern Talleyrand, inject himself and solve global issues such as Ukraine, Africa’s Sahel, Syria, Lebanon, or Iran have fallen short, degenerated into petty feuds, or backfired.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
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
-
Crews will spend several days rebuilding and paving each section before moving on to the next, according to a press release, and the project will remove deteriorated pavement before the application of new asphalt.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
-
But the challenges are equally steep, ranging from deteriorated infrastructure to legal uncertainty and lingering concerns over contract stability after past nationalizations.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sales have declined as inflation has worsened, and Benike recently reduced one full-time employee to part-time hours.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
The security situation in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has worsened recently, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by Islamic extremists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Pumps and lift systems can easily become corroded.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
-
Replace Rusted/corroded Storage Shelf.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
That principle has crumbled so far in the face of Wembanyama’s combination of incomprehensible on-court abilities, youthful enthusiasm and cosmopolitan-unto-eccentric savoir faire.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Some of the young students screamed in panic and wept but mostly remained seated and still, preventing any injuries, Cachuela said, adding that a motorcycle was damaged when a shed crumbled to the ground.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
By gaining new traits, these altered organisms might pose a novel invasion threat to Earth, if introduced through the transfer and insecure containment of contaminated samples.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
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Produce grown using contaminated water may also pose exposure risks.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In video posted from Kathmandu on Wednesday, Thrall said that the Polish climber was battling frostbite and had descended with the Sherpa guide Thrall was climbing with, leaving Hillary Dawa and him to descend together.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
-
British climber Chris Thrall, who had descended with Dawa Sherpa from high on the mountain, said the guide stopped briefly to rest during the difficult descent but never caught back up with the group.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The measure was a face-off between supporters who said the community needed more housing and opponents who raised concerns about traffic, wildlife and polluted groundwater from a nearby former landfill.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The purifiers are part of the county’s effort to provide temporary relief to South Bay residents exposed to hydrogen sulfide from the polluted waterway while the United States and Mexico work to address infrastructure failures at a transboundary wastewater treatment facility.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Those who declined frequently faced intense criticism from media outlets and activists.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
Major events such as Hamilton and an Issa Rae show were swiftly canceled, staff departures staggered departments and drained the organization of expertise, and ticket sales drastically declined.—
Janay Kingsberry,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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