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
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
Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 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
Haldea cautioned that the secondary market could struggle to absorb a large wave of redemptions if investor sentiment deteriorates sharply.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The turtle slows, more organisms attach, and the animal’s condition deteriorates.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
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
Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 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
Haldea cautioned that the secondary market could struggle to absorb a large wave of redemptions if investor sentiment deteriorates sharply.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The turtle slows, more organisms attach, and the animal’s condition deteriorates.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorates
Verb
-
As the illness worsens, more severe symptoms can develop, like coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath as fluid builds up in the lungs.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Pain in the hand, wrist and thumb that worsens or prevents you from gripping, pinching or holding items.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Even with the preserving power of the freezer, the baking powder in self-rising flour degrades faster than the flour itself.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
11 May 2026
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Also, avoid rubbing the scent onto your skin, as this degrades the fragrance.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 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
-
But the weakening of that regime weakens the proxies as well.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
-
Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis for the Club, said the report weakens the case for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts because the labor market remains stable.—
Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Verb
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As Delphi’s star rises, P Burke becomes enthralled by her and descends into a tech psychosis with disastrous consequences.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Cooper Neill / Getty Images May is the final month before the excitement of the 2026 World Cup descends upon the sports world.—
John Riker,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Verb
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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
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When a security system declines a valid purchase, the customer often abandons the cart and moves to a competitor.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Distribution revenue was $858 million as vs $870 million on net subscriber declines.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
And the President doesn’t seem to mind if Vance humiliates himself running errands.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
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Later that season, Eric humiliates Bill in front of their Pierpoint colleagues by insulting his work quality and Bill dies from brain cancer.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorates. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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