1
as in worsens
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 degrades
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 deteriorates
Because when executives aren’t safe to respectfully and directly challenge each other, the room grows quieter, and leadership quality deteriorates.
—
Terina Allen, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the neo-noir psychological drama follows De Niro as a taxi driver whose mental state deteriorates while working night shifts in New York City.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
That is why a hedge here makes sense while markets sit near highs, VIX remains compressed near the high teens, and investors are still leaning heavily into a handful of leadership names as the macro backdrop deteriorates.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 13 May 2026
Hospitals use the same billing codes for the ER visit, whether a patient’s condition deteriorates or not.
—Andrew Jones, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.
—Bill Conway, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
Terina Allen, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Directed by Martin Scorsese, the neo-noir psychological drama follows De Niro as a taxi driver whose mental state deteriorates while working night shifts in New York City.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
That is why a hedge here makes sense while markets sit near highs, VIX remains compressed near the high teens, and investors are still leaning heavily into a handful of leadership names as the macro backdrop deteriorates.
—Tony Zhang, CNBC, 13 May 2026
Hospitals use the same billing codes for the ER visit, whether a patient’s condition deteriorates or not.
—Andrew Jones, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.
—Bill Conway, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorates
Verb
-
Global economic outlook worsens over Iran war The US and Iran appeared still willing to reach a peace deal despite American strikes and Tehran’s threats of reprisals — but the global economic fallout from the conflict deepened.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
-
When oil prices rise because of a supply disruption, as happened in 1973 and 1979, the economy worsens.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Unlike conventional electronics that rely on plastics and heavy metals, the MEG degrades safely after use.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
24 May 2026
-
It gets tested every year because the device degrades and conditions change.—
Barbara Wittmann,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
That is the moment that everything crumbles for Rachel.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
-
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Subtract what weakens the system.—
Nilton Bernini,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Teams evolve at different speeds, innovation concentrates among a small subset of employees, and trust across the organization weakens.—
Matt Rosenbaum,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Rue descends into crime, working with Nazis, the feds, and a Black cowboy in a drug plot that stems from her adolescent foibles with monotone drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly).—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
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With trust eroding, dangerous new allies entering the fold, and the FBI escalating its pressure, the compound descends further into chaos — all building toward a shocking and unforgettable confrontation.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
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The criticism most often leveled at proposals to support journalism is that government money corrupts editorial independence, which is a very real concern.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When a substantial fraction of that talent pool declines even to consider military service, no signing bonus will close the gap.—
Robert Krasner,
STAT,
1 June 2026
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And yet there's been no change in women's biology, or the age at which fertility declines.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Incompetent leadership humiliates us on the global stage.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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And the President doesn’t seem to mind if Vance humiliates himself running errands.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorates. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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