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
Beachgoers in the region over the holiday weekend could experience showers and some thunderstorm activity, along with deteriorating surf conditions, AccuWeather reported.
—
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 July 2025
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was canceled on its second day due to heavy rain and deteriorating conditions.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Overtime structures can be damaged, deteriorated or needing to meet new city requirements and this project will improve safety and performance in the event of flash flooding on Bluff Road from Wicker Road to Thompson Road.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
The Astros traded Pressly as a pure salary dump, influenced in part by his deteriorating relationship with general manager Dana Brown.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 July 2025
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was canceled on its second day due to heavy rain and deteriorating conditions.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Overtime structures can be damaged, deteriorated or needing to meet new city requirements and this project will improve safety and performance in the event of flash flooding on Bluff Road from Wicker Road to Thompson Road.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
The Astros traded Pressly as a pure salary dump, influenced in part by his deteriorating relationship with general manager Dana Brown.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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This misinformation can also lead to insurance denials, distorted retirement planning, and worsened stigma.—
Jennifer Jay Palumbo,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Most of the Corn Belt and Midwest remain drought-free, except for northern Illinois where conditions worsened, the agency said.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Customer service was once rated among the highest in the American Customer Satisfaction Index – until relentless budget cuts started to degrade it.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But, unlike metal drill bits, which generally last for years, these enabling molecules are designed to degrade very quickly, falling apart within a few days at most.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Verb
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Unfortunately, countless family businesses crumble—not for financial reasons, but because of missteps in preparation.—
Anatoly Iofe,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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But Paxton's sizeable lead could crumble in light of his divorce proceedings.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The June jobs report showed strong headline numbers, but the underlying data pointed to a weakening labor market.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
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The first-quarter boom in U.S. trade is weakening, with merchandise trade somewhat atypically declining for the second straight month, according to my analysis of the the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Disney officials declined to comment on individual plans out of respect for all guests.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 July 2025
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The important storyline over those weeks is about untapped potential, not declining numbers.—
Lindsey Darvin,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Some have been corrupted by money and power, betraying each other as readily as the criminals do.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Parliament has been corrupted by agents of a genocidal foreign power.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Potentially Cloudy Guidance The easyJet share price could very well descend on Thursday if CEO Kenton Jarvis doesn’t reiterate his FY25 PBT guidance of roughly £700-710 million.—
John Choong,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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On the morning of July 10, immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms near Camarillo and in Carpinteria – a greenhouse complex that is one of the state's largest marijuana farms.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The best wrinkle creams on Amazon prove that drugstore prices don't diminish efficacy.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
8 July 2025
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Eggs may not be quite so extreme, since the bird flu problem is expected to diminish.—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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