1
as in to worsen
to become worse or of less value
the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deteriorate
His condition, meanwhile, continued to deteriorate as the months passed.
—
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
His mental health has severely deteriorated, his financial situation is terrible, and his drug dependency is at its worst.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
With each loader carrying upwards of 30 of these shells a day, the physical strain can be very real and quickly lead to deteriorating performance.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
The film resurfaced after a collection of deteriorating nitrate reels was submitted to the Library of Congress by a Michigan man who inherited them from his great-grandfather.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
His mental health has severely deteriorated, his financial situation is terrible, and his drug dependency is at its worst.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
With each loader carrying upwards of 30 of these shells a day, the physical strain can be very real and quickly lead to deteriorating performance.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
The film resurfaced after a collection of deteriorating nitrate reels was submitted to the Library of Congress by a Michigan man who inherited them from his great-grandfather.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
-
Some passengers took to social media, describing long delays, limited updates and worsening conditions onboard as the situation unfolded.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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On May 3, Belle’s condition worsened, and she was euthanized.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Our objective has always been to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure to the point where diplomacy and a sovereign Lebanese government can take over under Lebanon’s confessional system, reflecting Christian, Sunni and Shiite interests.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Actively removing litter from the coasts can reduce the amount of debris that may degrade into harmful microplastics.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That order is crumbling, and many of our former strengths built on our close ties to the United States have become our weaknesses.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The top of his head drilled Bona’s chest, and the Celtics guard crumbled to the court, holding his neck.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Every time a middle-class family is forced to drain its wealth or pull back on discretionary spending just to absorb the logistical cost of a geopolitical crisis, the entire economy weakens.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
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But an industry post from commercial real estate analytics firm CoStar cites geopolitical conflict and high ticket prices for weakening demand and hotelier optimism.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sturm declined comment on the elbow.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Nuggets refused to engage, declining to respond on the off day.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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However, what the young Valdi captures on these early scenes is the sense that whatever love Michael had for music and performance had become immediately corrupted.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
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One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But despite that meeting, on Monday, more than 1,000 MAHA advocates will descend on the Supreme Court to protest the administration’s support for Bayer in a case on the handling of the herbicide glyphosate, the main chemical in RoundUp.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2026
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The all-women Japanese promotion also performed in the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino Resort during the week as pro wrestling fans descended on the city ahead of WrestleMania 42.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Perpetuating ageism diminishes all of us.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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The change reflects assessment that downside risks from a severe and prolonged tariff shock have diminished after US duties on Thai exports were reduced to levels broadly in line with regional peers, Moody’s said in a statement Tuesday.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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