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
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Recent Examples of deteriorating
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Just getting back to fight again requires constant focus, and the cycle of death can be mentally deteriorating.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Also on display was a 1774 letter from King George III to Prime Minister Lord North, acknowledging the escalating rebellion in the American colonies and referencing the Boston Tea Party as a pivotal moment in deteriorating relations.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Both Beryl and the couple's granddaughter, Felicity Gilbert, confirmed that Phyllis' health had been deteriorating in the time leading up to their deaths.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
The designation reflects the deteriorating relations between the United States and one of its closest Latin American allies.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
The women contend both men are of advanced age and that Powell’s health is deteriorating.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
In San Francisco, a development called Hunters View built in 1956 to provide temporary workforce housing was still inhabited and badly deteriorating by the early 2000s.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
In the case of the Smurl family, the patriarch’s deteriorating mental health was speculated as the culprit for what was happening at the house.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The Fed last week lowered borrowing costs for the first time since December to prevent the labor market from deteriorating, according to Chair Jerome Powell in a post-meeting news conference.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Just getting back to fight again requires constant focus, and the cycle of death can be mentally deteriorating.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
Also on display was a 1774 letter from King George III to Prime Minister Lord North, acknowledging the escalating rebellion in the American colonies and referencing the Boston Tea Party as a pivotal moment in deteriorating relations.
—Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Both Beryl and the couple's granddaughter, Felicity Gilbert, confirmed that Phyllis' health had been deteriorating in the time leading up to their deaths.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
The designation reflects the deteriorating relations between the United States and one of its closest Latin American allies.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
The women contend both men are of advanced age and that Powell’s health is deteriorating.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
In San Francisco, a development called Hunters View built in 1956 to provide temporary workforce housing was still inhabited and badly deteriorating by the early 2000s.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
In the case of the Smurl family, the patriarch’s deteriorating mental health was speculated as the culprit for what was happening at the house.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorating
Verb
-
Climate change is worsening the erosion of the island, contributing to both higher sea levels and more damaging storms.—
Julie Depenbrock,
NPR,
22 Sep. 2025
-
At the walkthrough, County Board Chair Marcelia Nicholson implored the federal government to recognize the importance of funding projects that move the needle toward renewable energy and away from worsening climate disasters across the country.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Over time, these substances may infiltrate groundwater, creating serious long-term health concerns, degrading habitats, and endangering communities that rely on those resources.—
Michaela Rychetska,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Wall Street anticipated interest rates to be eased in recent weeks, following hotter-than-expected jobs data that indicated the labor market was degrading at a faster pace than projected, and inflation, which ticked up again in August while still above the central bank’s 2% goal.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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,
22 Sep. 2025
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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
-
Inspection reports noted the Seaquarium failed to provide adequate veterinary care and had crumbling infrastructure.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
21 Sep. 2025
-
The twin bases of the American experiment in political pluralism—the fable about the United States as a land of immigrants and the reality of unchallenged global primacy—are simultaneously crumbling.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As a major ally to China, South Africa recently intensified pressure to move the embassy in July ahead of another meeting in November that Xi is expected to attend—attempting to signal that South Africa was weakening ties with Taiwan, as China had demanded.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The economy has slowed, weakening the labor market and forcing the Federal Reserve last week to trim its benchmark short-term interest rate by a quarter percentage point as inflation edges up and amid ongoing tariff uncertainty.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 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
-
While the enemies and level design, as well as the progression of the descending route is a clear inversion and iteration of the original, the second half of the game feels downright experimental.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
In Will There Ever Be Another You, the main character struggles with an illness similar to long COVID, descending into a state of debility and psychosis as readers experience the chaos of her unraveling life.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorating. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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