1
as in worsening
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 degrading
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
1
as in deteriorated
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in declining
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 deteriorating
NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Travelers in the region are advised to remain alert for rapidly changing conditions, as the combination of snow and high winds can produce sudden reductions in visibility and rapidly deteriorating roadways.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere, Morgan Stanley worried the quality of government data is deteriorating, saying October collections of price data that go into calculating CPI are already missing.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
The Baby Girl actress opened up to Vogue about her life, and unexpectedly dropped some insights about her deteriorating relationship with the country singer.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Many remain acutely aware of how their abilities are deteriorating.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
What’s desperately needed, Sisti said, are comprehensive investments in mental health — Housing First programs, funding to build up a mental health care workforce, and an easily accessible and coordinated system of voluntary treatment that prevents people from deteriorating on the streets.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 30 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
Adjective
The Afghanistan Analysts Network, also reported others were leaving amid plummeting salaries and deteriorating conditions.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
Travelers in the region are advised to remain alert for rapidly changing conditions, as the combination of snow and high winds can produce sudden reductions in visibility and rapidly deteriorating roadways.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere, Morgan Stanley worried the quality of government data is deteriorating, saying October collections of price data that go into calculating CPI are already missing.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
The Baby Girl actress opened up to Vogue about her life, and unexpectedly dropped some insights about her deteriorating relationship with the country singer.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 8 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Many remain acutely aware of how their abilities are deteriorating.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2025
What’s desperately needed, Sisti said, are comprehensive investments in mental health — Housing First programs, funding to build up a mental health care workforce, and an easily accessible and coordinated system of voluntary treatment that prevents people from deteriorating on the streets.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 30 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorating
Verb
-
In 2015, my mother’s caregiver set up a phone call between my mom and me, in the hope that a familiar voice might cut through her worsening dementia.—
Joe Garcia,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
People, including Afghan refugees leaving Pakistan, were turned away due to the worsening security situation.—
NPR,
NPR,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The alliance should also increase its training with an eye toward degrading or destroying the Kaliningrad facilities should direct hostilities break out.—
James Stavridis,
Twin Cities,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The research revealed a strong correlation between microbial plastic-degrading potential and global plastic pollution levels, suggesting bacteria are adapting to what’s available.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces is continuing its operation to take control of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Gaza Strip, despite international outcry over the deteriorated humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
But with the deteriorated state, the possibility remains that the building may soon be auctioned off with no protection against demolition.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While pruning, remove any winter damage, along with dead and declining growths, to allow new shoots to reform the plant.—
Tom MacCubbin,
orlandosentinel.com,
6 Mar. 2021
-
In order to reopen, counties must demonstrate declining prevalence of COVID-19, testing ability of 30 tests per 10,000 residents per week, contact tracing and isolation facilities.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
15 May 2020
Verb
-
Its crumbling buildings swallowed by greenery are starkly beautiful and deeply eerie, even more so as the cooler seasons creep in and sea mists descend.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Sclerotic growth, stagnant real wages, and crumbling public services are generating profound dissatisfaction.—
Anand Menon,
Time,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
By suddenly disclosing its true holdings, China could drive up gold prices while signaling stronger backing for the renminbi, thus weakening the dollar’s global clout.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Recent economic data has suggested a weakening labor market and inflation up a touch, but not so much as to crack the stock market.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The film is an adaptation of the ghost novel What Happens At Night, which follows a married couple that travels to Europe to adopt a baby, staying in a cavernous, fading European hotel filled with eccentric characters.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
On one end, the structure has large terrace-like steps descending into the earth.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Kansas City Star,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Returning from an alpine lake, the pair took a different route from their hike in, ascending and descending the 11,300-foot Burro Lake Pass.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share