1
as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the organization's degeneration from a movement for political reform to just another political party
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2
as in weakening
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the troubling degeneration of his memory since he reached middle age
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3
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the general degeneration that characterized so many old mining towns, which had only drinking and gambling for entertainment
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of degeneration
Clinical studies have reported improvements in peripheral neuropathy, retinal degeneration and certain neurological disorders.
—
Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
James turned forty-one at the end of that month, an age at which many people start to notice the normal degeneration of their tendons and joints.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai found traces of Chlamydia pneumoniae – a bacterium that's best known for causing respiratory infections – in the eye's retinal tissue, and higher levels of this pathogen correlated with advanced degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
—New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026
By targeting the underlying neuronal degeneration, ER-100 is positioned as a potential disease-modifying treatment rather than a symptomatic fix.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Lynne Peeples, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2026
James turned forty-one at the end of that month, an age at which many people start to notice the normal degeneration of their tendons and joints.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai found traces of Chlamydia pneumoniae – a bacterium that's best known for causing respiratory infections – in the eye's retinal tissue, and higher levels of this pathogen correlated with advanced degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease patients.
—New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026
By targeting the underlying neuronal degeneration, ER-100 is positioned as a potential disease-modifying treatment rather than a symptomatic fix.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degeneration
Noun
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The aim wasn’t a knockout, but the gradual deterioration of San Antonio.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
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Mayor Gloria’s egregious record of reckless spending has contributed to the steady deterioration of our city’s fiscal and civic health.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Speaking in Russia’s State Duma (parliament) last week, Zyuganov warned the country could face a Bolshevik-style revolution if the government fails to address the weakening economy.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
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Also, the evidence points to a weakening of the AMOC, but not a complete collapse.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The move was widely seen as an effort to reassure consumers that ultra-fast charging technology would not result in excessive long-term battery degradation.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
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But experts believe environmental degradation caused by climate change and human activity is contributing to its spread by allowing the rodents that transmit the virus to thrive in new areas.—
Gonzalo Zegarra,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
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An earlier study, published in the American Economic Journal, found that field-office closures led to a sixteen-per-cent decline in disability recipients in the surrounding areas.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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The clues are all in his writing, the structure of the sentence, the tracking of it, the fast decline into being inebriated.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
Noun
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That may be fine for downtown, but none of us in North County signed on for the kind of problems that high density brings — urban decay, crime, traffic and unaffordable housing.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Advertisement Just as Nietzsche warned of the dangers of a nihilist moral void leading to societal decay, the current disregard for responsible data practices could erode trust in institutions and perpetuate systemic inequalities.—
Alice Xiang,
Time,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Years later, drawn into a covert network of operatives and manipulated through a web of corruption, Clay must decide whether to become the weapon he was shaped to be or dismantle the system from within.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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He was also charged in another foreign corruption case in the same court in late 2024.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Phillies, off to an even worse start at 9-19, relieved Rob Thomson of his managerial duties Tuesday, and with Cora’s declination, named bench coach Don Mattingly interim skipper.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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The declinations came as the DOJ reassigned and cut prosecutors working on environmental cases.—
Ken B. Morales,
ProPublica,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degeneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degeneration. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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