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deteriorate

verb

di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce deteriorate (audio)
Definition of deterioratenext
1
as in to worsen
to become worse or of less value the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 At 34, frustrated by the lack of a decent salary and deteriorating living conditions, including declining healthcare and long lines for gasoline, De La Cruz began to think about leaving Cuba. — Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026 Last month, as Harald's health deteriorated, Astrid was among the senior royals who rushed to be with him at his hospital bedside. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 Poor weather and deteriorating mine quality are contributing to production woes. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 By Season 2, however, the relationship between Hardy, Butterworth and Glasser deteriorated to the point that reports emerged claiming Hardy had been kicked off the show. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
  1. worsen
  2. degrade
  3. crumble
  4. weaken
  5. decline
  6. corrupt
  7. descend
  8. diminish
Verb
  • Attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against Saudi energy infrastructure drove oil prices towards the $100 a barrel mark, as fears grow that the largely dormant Middle East conflict is worsening.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The worsening economic crisis led to weakness in the labor market, allowing employers to engage in wage repression and leading to further pressure on household incomes.
    — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of worsen
Verb
  • As industries increasingly operate equipment in extreme thermal and demanding environments, optical components must withstand conditions that can quickly degrade conventional materials.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • When a critical resource of a larger system is categorized as interchangeable, the company triggers savings logic that, in pursuit of lower prices, degrades quality.
    — Mindaugas Čaplinskas, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Transportation officials posted a video showing severe erosion jeopardizing the train tracks used by Metrolink in San Clemente, with strong ocean waves crashing on the tracks and sediment crumbling onto the rocks below.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Packers’ identity is that of a team that can’t shut the door, one that crumbles when momentum turns in a hostile away environment.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of crumble
Verb
  • People familiar with the deliberations said lawmakers worried the requirements would raise drug prices and weaken national security by revealing the precise locations where lifesaving medications are made.
    — Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Macron warned that the attacks would not go unanswered and accused Moscow of trying to intimidate Europeans into weakening their support for Ukraine.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • His attorney, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment after the hearing.
    — TIM SULLIVAN, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • There are also discussions about an adjacent White House meeting with AI CEOs next week, which House Majority Leader Mike Johnson referenced, but a representative for the speaker declined to provide further details.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • The title character and his fellow physicists spend much of their early years refusing to work for the Soviet military machine; building bombs would corrupt the purity and beauty of their science.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026
  • And by engaging with these powerful militaries, the group reinforced its self-image as a major regional player that was uniquely capable of liberating the Muslim world from corrupting American and Israeli influence.
    — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • In July, the worst air quality since records began descended on Chicago in part due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.
    — Mikayla Price, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly 500 federal, state and local officers descended on the sprawling plant, detaining 475 workers, mostly South Koreans.
    — Hanna Park, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of descend
Verb
  • Employees need clarity on how new skills connect to opportunities and confidence that AI will enhance, not diminish, their value in the organization.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • If the senator’s moralism has been unfettered by his stroke, with a shift toward right-brain moralistic processing, that does not diminish his sincere intent or its effect.
    — Michael P.H. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminish

Browse Nearby Words

deterging
deteriorate
deteriorated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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