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
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
As the day of the eclipse dawned, the weather over Alor Setar deteriorated, forcing Gnanamoorthy to abandon his original plan in favor of a new destination on the eastern shoreline of the peninsula, close to the city of Kota Bharu, 310 miles (500 km) to the north.
—
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Instead, van Geelen suggests any eventual easing would likely come in response to deteriorating growth, a backdrop historically associated with further equity declines rather than sustained rallies.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Beyond environmental concerns, rights groups say conditions in mining zones have deteriorated sharply over the past decade.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
As those units deteriorate or are redeveloped, they are often replaced with higher-rent housing.
—Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Instead, van Geelen suggests any eventual easing would likely come in response to deteriorating growth, a backdrop historically associated with further equity declines rather than sustained rallies.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Beyond environmental concerns, rights groups say conditions in mining zones have deteriorated sharply over the past decade.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
As those units deteriorate or are redeveloped, they are often replaced with higher-rent housing.
—Stephen Martin, Oklahoma Watch, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
-
Burning more coal risks worsening smog in major cities, slowing the transition to renewable energy and increasing the region's planet-warming emissions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The first of three ships carrying food, medical supplies, solar panels, and other humanitarian aid arrived in Cuba on Tuesday, three days behind schedule, as the island grapples with a worsening economic and energy crisis.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Riboua was more skeptical, arguing that Hezbollah would likely survive the collapse of the government in Tehran but would be vastly degraded.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
While nickel alone tends to degrade quickly, the carbon layer protects it from damage while still allowing the necessary reactions to occur.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Flores said the community continues to struggle with a range of problems, including poor air quality, high poverty rates, weak worker protections and crumbling infrastructure.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
-
However, as the show begins, the family’s pristine facade is just on the verge of crumbling.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For the country’s leadership, weakened militarily and more isolated than ever, inflicting economic suffering has become the most powerful weapon available.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Continuous support could theoretically weaken muscles, so experts advise mixing exo use with traditional ergonomics and exercise.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Throughout the years-long investigation, Cherfilus-McCormick declined interview requests from the committee and provided little to no defense against the committee’s allegations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Some declined to provide their full names, citing safety concerns.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Helberg, cast as inventor Martin Phister, opens up about their characters who are trying to be virtuous and end up getting corrupted instead.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Storms descended on the states during a bout of unusually hot temps that could linger into early next week, NWS meteorologists said on social media.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Last summer, as thousands of Border Patrol agents descended on Los Angeles, McGraw was there with a camera crew to the surprise of those who knew him mostly for his daytime-TV therapeutic segments.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
How diminished will their opportunities for success be in the real world?—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Lightning is diminishing over shipping lanes as a result of the use of cleaner fuel.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
