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
Stone, brick and window work has deteriorated.
—
Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Humberto, which briefly exploded into a rare Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds Saturday, continued to deteriorate Tuesday into a Category 1 hurricane a few hundred miles northeast of Imelda.
—Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
By the time everyone came back from lunch, the weather had started to deteriorate.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
In January, construction resumed to close a 100-foot gap and replace a deteriorating border fence in the southwestern area of Friendship Park, located between Playas de Tijuana and Imperial Beach.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Humberto, which briefly exploded into a rare Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds Saturday, continued to deteriorate Tuesday into a Category 1 hurricane a few hundred miles northeast of Imelda.
—Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
By the time everyone came back from lunch, the weather had started to deteriorate.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
In January, construction resumed to close a 100-foot gap and replace a deteriorating border fence in the southwestern area of Friendship Park, located between Playas de Tijuana and Imperial Beach.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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Mostly sunny and very warm; persistent dry weather will worsen drought conditions through the weekend.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
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Thompson said the lending skew will ultimately create worsened housing markets.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, disease and human activity, such as pollution, have severely degraded Florida's reefs, according to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
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The team’s goal is to track and predict how asphalt roads degrade.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By the end, the old Wembley was best viewed from a distance — ideally 15 or 20 years’ distance as the crumbling concrete and antiquated facilities meant the Empire Stadium belonged in the same bygone era as its official name.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The recent protests were triggered by the deaths of several pregnant women following routine C-sections in the coastal city of Agadir, spotlighting the crumbling healthcare system.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For investors, even opposition threats of repeal weaken confidence by raising doubts about long-term policy stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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While his core supporters remain loyal, sustained disapproval among the broader public could weaken his leverage in negotiations with Congress and erode confidence in his leadership.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And some items, though limited, have seen prices decline, including Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream, Montgomery Inn’s full rack of ribs, Pringles potato chips and Red and Blue Bicycle Playing cards (though a standard deck has risen 11% in line with the overall index.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
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Netflix has declined to comment on Musk’s campaign.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tales From Beyond the Pale co-creator Glenn McQuaid unleashes a Jason Voorhees whose appearance is concealed not by a hockey mask but a squiggly blur of video noise, corrupting the handheld footage of him stalking college kids through the woods.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
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Democrats and civil libertarians said Trump corrupted the system of justice by getting involved.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Once federal police and the National Guard descended on Washington, incidents further declined to 3,592.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Oct. 2025
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In an interview with Ars Technica, Fiaschetti said the company plans to keep Arcs in orbit for extended periods, ready to descend when called upon.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their patches of habitat and their water sources are diminishing; their feeding timeline has grown increasingly erratic, and more barricades are being built all the time, limiting their freedom of movement.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
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And another sign the perception is of a Panthers team diminished.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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