DETERIORATE Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

deteriorate

verb

di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt

Definition of deteriorate

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

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

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 deteriorate Nowhere is that more consequential than in the United States, where support for Israel has deteriorated, particularly among younger Americans. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026 If the unrest continues, confidence deteriorates further or market tensions intensify, growth could be even weaker. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 The referendum would authorize Miami to issue $450 million in general obligation bonds to repair or replace deteriorating police and fire-rescue facilities, including construction of a new public safety building near Miami Freedom Park. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Unfortunately at the beginning of August 2024, Bobby’s condition quickly deteriorated. — Stat Staff, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deteriorate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate

Verb

Rights groups and activists say repression has worsened in the period since.

— Reuters, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
In Spanish cities, a housing supply shortage has worsened thanks to population growth driven by immigration and a proliferation of short-term rentals.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of worsen

Verb

With a major election less than a week away, candidates and their consultants are pounding Floridians with a barrage of words — some intended to cast themselves in a flattering light, some intended to smear and degrade their opponents.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Faulkner said he is fed up with Citation’s yearslong pattern of degrading his pastures.

— Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of degrade

Verb

Meanwhile, the institutions that once policed this behavior are crumbling, and the new ones emerging in their place seem like they’re engineered to reward it.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Nearly a third of its education budget is eaten up by pensions, so its poorer schools are crumbling.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of crumble

Verb

The regime remains capable of suppressing any organized resistance in the country, but the growing disaffection of the elite threatens to weaken the state from within.

— Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
Eisenkot's allies could also try to reverse legislation advanced by Netanyahu's government that critics say weakened Israel's democratic institutions and judicial independence.

— Itay Stern, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

At every stop, Talarico has argued that, for too long, the wealthy and their donations have corrupted politics, and that this corruption has fueled the affordability crisis.

— STEVEN SLOAN, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
And that includes his warning that TV news has been corrupted by the agendas of the powerful, wealthy billionaires who now control a large portion of the media.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of corrupt

Verb

Some 100,000 people descended on the neighborhood, causing human traffic jams in the narrow streets.

— Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
To keep released fish alive, Florida Sea Grant’s Return ’Em Right program urges anglers to use descending devices, which return fish quickly to depth, and offers free devices to those who complete an online course.

— Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of descend

Verb

Members of Congress could be expected to resist presidential encroachments because those encroachments diminished their own power.

— Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
In theory, such an arrangement diminishes the cells’ ability to transport oxygen from the lungs.

— D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminish

Browse Nearby Words

deterging

deteriorate

deteriorated

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Style

“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of deteriorate

verb

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