as in deteriorating
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 degenerating
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
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
Verb
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Officials said that the food security situation is deteriorating because of water shortages, insecurity, conflict and historically low levels of humanitarian assistance linked to global funding cuts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Human rights groups in Senegal say that the situation for gay people in the country has been deteriorating since 2018, and that at least a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks over allegations of homosexuality.—
Ope Adetayo,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Complaints are growing in the Northern California city of Roseville over crumbling walkways, dead trees, and broken soundwalls.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
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Once the blocks and spires of Palma faded into the distance, the 25-minute drive from the airport took me past crumbling homes, fields of curious farm animals, and not a soul in sight for miles at a time.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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International airlines are suspending flights to Cuba as the nation continues to face a worsening fuel shortage.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
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Poor and minority communities face worsening health risks including cancer, asthma and extreme heat exposure from industrial facilities and climate change impacts.—
Dorany Pineda,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Antibus said forecasters at the Sierra Avalanche Center are concerned about a swath of people descending into the backcountry’s slopes and triggering numerous avalanches.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Buyers, sellers, and everyone in between are descending on the capital in decent spirits, seeking out the next big thing.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During his speech on Tuesday, the President suggested that those prices were declining.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
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Chelsea have carried significant operating losses in recent years, topping £200m in each of the three seasons before last, as declining revenues combined with significant cost increases.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degenerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerating. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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