dilapidate

verb

Definition of dilapidatenext
as in to putrefy

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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 dilapidate At the center of the woods, off Haven Beach Road, was a solitary and dilapidated Colonial homestead that burned to the ground. — Bree Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023 Hamdok found that the legacy of 30 years of dictatorship meant that Sudan’s political and economic models were dilapidated. — Justin Lynch, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023 The initial goal was to repair and renovate it; however, this proved to be impossible as the original structure was too dilapidated. — Kimberley Mok, Treehugger, 28 Mar. 2023 The towers would replace a four-acre debris heap where the famed but dilapidated Deauville Beach Resort from the 1950s sat until courts ordered it to be imploded. — Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for dilapidate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilapidate
  1. putrefy
  2. decompose
  3. disintegrate
  4. corrupt
  5. degrade
  6. diminish
  7. recede
  8. downsize
Verb
  • Because lose-lose situations are so endemic to the genre, a hint of relief can sometimes accompany the prospect of surrender to the putrefying mob.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Fast-forward to now, and the scene has putrefied into a wasteland of the percussive undead.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 July 2025
Definition of putrefy
Verb
  • An investigation was underway at a Far South Side funeral home after more than 50 decomposing bodies were found in the facility.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In 2023, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found in a building in Colorado, and another 31 decomposing bodies were discovered at an Indiana funeral home.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • It was revealed that the NFL quarterback’s relationship with the family had disintegrated over the years.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Comedy is a delicate object; a funny play on words in one language might disintegrate in another.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • Thomas Mann—who later changed his mind on such matters—believed that Germany in the First World War was fighting for its unique national soul against a shallow materialist Western civilization corrupted by rationalism.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • That said, real Strange may be corrupted by the Darkhold and Wanda could still be on her villain arc.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • Liquid nitrogen storage pauses cellular activity, so the egg should not degrade over time.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Anyone determined to disguise AI output has plenty of ways to degrade or erase a statistical text watermark.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of degrade
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
Verb
  • The medical procedure involves transferring tissue from a patient’s palate to the area where their gums have receded.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But when this latest surge plateaus or recedes, the game could well be up.
    — Michael B. G. Froman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of recede
Verb
  • India’s world-leading IT sector is downsizing, facing mass disruption by AI.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The layoffs added to earlier downsizing by the software giant and moves by companies that include Amazon and Oracle to shed thousands of people in the last two years.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of downsize

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Cite this Entry

“Dilapidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilapidate. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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