degenerating

verb

present participle of degenerate
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of degenerating McFarland found the items inside a degenerating family trunk. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 But in general, any organic media is going to start degenerating over time, and the pH is going to be higher. — Ryan Conner, Dallas Morning News, 1 Apr. 2026 Scientists have hailed the benefits of exercising early in life to lower the risk of your brain degenerating later. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025 In the Pacific, meteorologists are watching to see how much rain the degenerating Tropical Storm Mario could carry into the San Diego region. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerating
  1. deteriorating
  2. crumbling
  3. worsening
  4. descending
  5. declining
Verb
  • These mice have some of the same features of brain damage that Alzheimer’s patients do, most notably the formation of tangled proteins and debris in the brain and progressively deteriorating performance on cognitive tasks.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The filing says the Park Service has known for years about deteriorating sections of the seawall and has fenced off discrete hazardous areas without shuttering the entire park.
    — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • Before it was demolished in the early 1800s, his crumbling mansion was said to be haunted by ghosts and strange occurrences.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • While the bread is toasting, cook sausage in a large skillet, crumbling it into pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 minutes.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • Akio Kon | Bloomberg | Getty Images As Intel comes off its steepest stock drop since the 1970s due to a worsening outlook for the PC market, the chipmaker is facing intensifying pressure to get its flailing foundry business off the ground.
    — Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The trial was halted early, though, when results indicated that the drug was worsening people’s cognition.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • As the plane was descending, a man believed to be Gregory could be heard reciting the Lord’s Prayer, according to air traffic controller audio.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Some went as far as likening the outage to life in prehistoric times or descending into madness.
    — Angela Yang, NBC news, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • With shot numbers declining, a study found more babies are at risk of bleeding.
    — Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Public fallout Despite all his success, though, his relationship with the national team has slowly soured over the last few years – much in part due to his declining performances on the field.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

degenerates
degenerating
degeneration
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Cite this Entry

“Degenerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerating. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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