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
  • Van der Heijden’s team reported that the fastest decomposing underwear was buried in residential gardens.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Determining the causes of death was complicated by how decomposed the bodies were, the medical examiner’s office said.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • If that’s the case, eagle-eyed observers may be able to witness the space rock disintegrate in real-time.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • With all the rain from storms recently, our streets and roads are disintegrating faster.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • Instead, in trying to explain what made both Murdoch and Lamb tick in those early days, Boyle and Graham show us just how intoxicating and corrupting this kind of success can be.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • There, Prue must go on a journey to save her younger brother Mac from crows led by a woman named Alexandra (Carey Mulligan), who captures Curtis and attempts to corrupt him for her own mysterious purposes.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • Moreover, certified testing by the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) verified the materials won’t degrade, rating them for over 10 years of continuous use.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Use that gap to isolate the employee's side, then deliberately degrade whatever residual customer voice remains.
    — Vivek Thomas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • At least one expert said that some workers could have access to oxygen, but others warned that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing.
    — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Violence diminishes its victims, forcing everyone to play a single thankless role.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Desertification, a process where vegetation recedes because of high heat and low rainfall, threatens much of the Great Hungarian Plain.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • But yeah, just how quickly the cravings to check my phone all the time really receded.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of recede
Verb
  • But these policies don't protect people from a layoff due to other factors like if the company downsizes or closes operations.
    — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But the site had seen a series of downsizing moves over recent years, as the company struggled to keep up with its rivals as generative AI transformed the industry.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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