DETERIORATE Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

deteriorate

verb

di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt

Definition of deteriorate

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

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 Trump is betting on economic pressure As negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz drag on, the White House appears to believe that time – and Iran’s deteriorating economy – is on its side. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 The key is to compare those options before your financial situation deteriorates further. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 The health of one of the original members has been deteriorating over the past few years. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026 Relations between the powerful church and Pashinyan's government have deteriorated rapidly since 2024, when tens of thousands of demonstrators, led by a high-ranking cleric, called for his ouster. — Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deteriorate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate

Verb

But a trio of economists, including former IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath, insist that appreciation could worsen Chinese deflation and further reduce demand for foreign goods, exacerbating imbalances.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Artificial intelligence can worsen this by confidently directing attention, causing users to stop searching prematurely if AI's initial answer is plausible but incorrect.

— Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of worsen

Verb

If one component degrades over time, the adjacent layers continue to block the movement of radioactive particles toward the surface.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026
The suspects are alleged to have been connected to the spraying of chemicals across 10,180 hectares (about 25,200 acres) of native forest in the city of Uruara to degrade the vegetation before cutting down the trees.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of degrade

Verb

State road officials on Saturday closed an exit on the Kennedy Expressway near Jefferson Park after part of a retaining wall crumbled.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
But after the platform changed its algorithm and views of PurelyWhite content plummeted, his business crumbled.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of crumble

Verb

However, consuming large amounts—such as those used in studies where up to 1/2 cup was consumed daily—can start to weaken and damage tooth enamel.

— MD Published, Verywell Health, 10 Aug. 2026
Apple’s market dominance is built around September; moving away from tradition would upset the ecosystem supporting the launch and risk weakening the iPhone’s dominant position.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of weaken

Verb

The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, has released reports on declining inventories based on budget documents and other public information.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Nike had the option to match the adidas offer and declined, making way for the three-stripe era.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of decline

Verb

Validation rules, schema standards and completeness checks at the entry point prevent bad master data from corrupting everything downstream.

— Jacqueline DeStefano-Tangorra, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Most of the other relationships in the movie are hopelessly corrupted or poisoned in some way, as Letty moves between an unloving mother and a vengeful former lover, and others whose closeness is a weapon to be feared.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 July 2026

Definition of corrupt

Verb

The friends eventually grew bored and went back to their cocktails, but the rest of the viewers continued watching as the dancer descended the museum’s outdoor staircase and linked up with four others below.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Midnight Madness also has a first look for Kick On, an action horror thriller from Nick Kozakis, and about a night of partying by four friends descending into a spiral of paranoia, violence and betrayals.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of descend

Verb

Instead, the fresh requirements appeared to diminish prospects for a quick deal, despite optimism last week an agreement was near.

— Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
But they’ve never been litigated — and the developments are already stoking fears of diminishing Fed independence as the central bank weighs whether to raise interest rates at its next meeting.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminish

Browse Nearby Words

deterging

deteriorate

deteriorated

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“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of deteriorate

verb

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