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
While water is essential to life, in the city of Trinidad, that lifeline is deteriorating.
—
Marissa Armas, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Researchers continued collecting data even as visibility deteriorated during severe winter weather.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Ward 3 Councilmember Chelsea Williamson asked if Lenexa Vision would allow other properties to deteriorate in areas outside of Lenexa and if other locations have similar conditions.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Analysts say deteriorating geopolitical relations are driving the reassessment.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Marissa Armas, CBS News, 18 June 2026
Researchers continued collecting data even as visibility deteriorated during severe winter weather.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Ward 3 Councilmember Chelsea Williamson asked if Lenexa Vision would allow other properties to deteriorate in areas outside of Lenexa and if other locations have similar conditions.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Analysts say deteriorating geopolitical relations are driving the reassessment.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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On top of the usual risks that come with surgery, a botched revision can mean permanent scarring, loss of nasal support, worsened breathing, or a result that's structurally too compromised to correct again.—
Victoria Oliva,
Allure,
23 June 2026
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Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that worsens over time and occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred, according to Mayo Clinic.—
Sara Moniuszko,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Verb
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Operating without high temperatures also allowed the researchers to use a wider range of sensing materials, including polymers that might degrade under heat.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
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Thermomechanical recycling, another energy-intensive endeavor, relies on high-quality, homogeneous feedstock that can only be processed a limited number of times before the plastic degrades.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Yet robust economic growth has proved elusive, even as government debt has climbed, leaving successive administrations with little firepower to fix a growing list of related challenges, from crumbling infrastructure to a chronic housing shortage.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
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All of this was a source of ongoing friction; and the glue that held the USSR together, military might and communist ideology, had been crumbling for some time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
Verb
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Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s consumer spending slowdown persisted in June, with growth during one of the country’s largest online shopping festivals weakening sharply from a year earlier.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
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All three of those protagonists have been weakened in their roles by what has gone on.—
Nasser Hussain,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Verb
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In 2023, the year after five Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear rainbow logos for Pride Night, Manfred said the league would no longer compel players to do so.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Americans are angry that their kids are being indoctrinated into a left-wing ideology intended to infiltrate their hearts and corrupt their moral center.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
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Character also involves standing up to people who are bankrupting and corrupting this country.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Visitors descend 168 steps to a spectacular view of Sable Falls’ 75-foot cascade.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
21 June 2026
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Hundreds of people descended on 52nd Street in West Philadelphia Sunday for the city's annual Juneteenth Parade.—
Raymond Strickland,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The weight that was added to the structure over its lifetime diminished the building’s margins against failure, the report said.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
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Louden points out that sometimes an English word strengthens and diversifies the Pennsylvania Dutch lexicon rather than diminishes it.—
Eythana Miller,
The Dial,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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