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
  • His deteriorating mental health comes up as a topic of discussion.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In recent weeks, family members of Lincoln service members voiced worries about deteriorating mental health conditions aboard the ship, as well as sanitary conditions and food shortages.
    — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • When the government took over Riis, the east wing of the crumbling bathhouse was given over to the National Park Service lifeguards.
    — Jake Offenhartz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The club and regional government have both had different design and financing ideas for modernising the crumbling Vallecas stadium.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • The Lincoln has been at sea for an extended deployment during the Iran war, which sparked concerns among lawmakers and military families after reports of the crew’s worsening mental health and conditions aboard.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • For would-be pirates in a country currently grappling with drought, worsening food insecurity, and shrinking humanitarian assistance, the economic incentives and risk-reward balance may be too tempting to pass up.
    — Aparajita Saxena, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Bleacherites were bracing for the descending ball as a souvenir when the wind blew the ball back into the field of play, where Billy Williams caught it for the out.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Videos obtained by community groups also show troops in groups of 20 or more stationed outside subway stations at night, blocking teens from descending the escalators to enforce a city curfew.
    — Brad Heath, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • The Swift Observatory has been observing the cosmos for more than two-decades, but its rapidly declining orbit has put it in jeopardy of reentering Earth's atmosphere and burning up.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, authorities criticized John and Patsy for declining formal police interviews for several months.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on degenerating

Nglish: Translation of degenerating for Spanish Speakers

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