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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Recent Examples of degeneration
The diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe, comes nearly a year after Willis' family confirmed the movie icon, now 67, was stepping away from acting due to an aphasia diagnosis.
—
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
The diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe, comes nearly a year after Willis' family confirmed the movie icon, now 67, was stepping away from acting due to an aphasia diagnosis.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Following his retirement from acting in 2022 due to an aphasia diagnosis, Willis' family revealed in February 2023 that the actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
The effect is particularly pronounced for cells that are very energy-hungry, like brain cells – causing the gradual degeneration seen with Parkinson’s disease.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
The diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe, comes nearly a year after Willis' family confirmed the movie icon, now 67, was stepping away from acting due to an aphasia diagnosis.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Following his retirement from acting in 2022 due to an aphasia diagnosis, Willis' family revealed in February 2023 that the actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
The effect is particularly pronounced for cells that are very energy-hungry, like brain cells – causing the gradual degeneration seen with Parkinson’s disease.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degeneration
Noun
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This may further contribute to a deterioration in hard data and usher in an economic recession.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2025
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That led to a deterioration of ties with Pakistan, which also claims the region.—
Fayaz Bukhari,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The rule of thumb is not to exceed an image scale of around 1920 x 1080, as this will result in an overall degradation of your image.—
Josh Dury,
Space.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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This approach not only benefits the environment by reducing chemical runoff and soil degradation but also yields cleaner cannabis products.—
Matt Rozo,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But its sales in the Greater China region, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, fell slightly to $16 billion, about a 2% decline from the previous year.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
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Even with a 6% decline year-to-date (as of April 30th), Microsoft’s (MSFT) stock performance has been a bit better than that of the broader NASDAQ index, which has dropped by 10%.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
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Fluoride can stop early tooth decay by putting minerals back into enamel.—
Katherine Dillinger,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
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The concern is not that AI is inherently detrimental, but rather the potential for its uncritical and pervasive use to lead to a form of agency decay – a diminished capacity for independent thought, problem-solving, and creative generation when the first and easiest solution is to defer to an AI.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In practice, the memo explained, the reports should be scrubbed of references such as those to prison abuses, government corruption, and locking up dissidents without due process.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2025
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That focus on wholesome foods, drug safety, and eliminating corruption in pharmaceuticals and the food industry has justifiably captured public enthusiasm.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The changing declination also defines the daily arc that the sun takes across the sky, thereby accounting for the length of daylight.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
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The sun's changing declination is what determines whether the sun's rays strike us at a low angle or more directly.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degeneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degeneration. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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