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
  • Of the powerful smell a decomposing body produces, Ho noted the stench was noticeable down the hall from the autopsy room.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
  • About four months after Celeste’s death, her decomposing body was found in the Tesla registered to Burke after it was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • Flights in early 2025, though, ended in a series of failures including two in which the Starship upper stage disintegrated in a fiery cascade of debris across the skies visible from Florida and the Caribbean.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • Rainfall likely caused any additional meteorite fragments that fell outside to disintegrate.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • The unsightly mushroom could have corrupted her maids’ morals, or even their health.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
  • Radiation from space and other high-energy environments can corrupt data or permanently damage conventional electronics.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • Many lubricants aren't silicone-safe and can actually degrade the surface of silicone products over time.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Residents fear adding another logistics hub nearby will further degrade air quality in the region.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • None of these concerns diminish the strength of the Jersey Mike’s brand.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • At 28 years old, clubs will also factor in his diminishing resale value.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • As the spacecraft closed in, the video follows Mars steadily expanding to reveal numerous craters puncturing its surface, the ancient double-ringed Huygens crater and the south polar ice cap before receding in the spacecraft's rearview.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 22 July 2026
  • The price of Brent Crude oil briefly went over $91 per barrel this morning before receding to $89.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 20 July 2026
Definition of recede
Verb
  • In that case, another major life change may be needed—downsizing.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
  • The ocean’s abundance had been dramatically diminished, but few recreational fishermen noticed; their expectations had been downsized, too.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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