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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
  • McGraw said their policy is to allow carcasses to decompose naturally, which is similar to rules followed by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Cotter said.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Most of the remains were severely decomposed, but investigators believed Montgomery had been dead for less than a day when he was found.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But slack defending allowed Chelsea’s individual quality to shine and as the match wore on, United’s confidence disintegrated.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • But, in Hagwon, Lee does not seem interested in the ways in which her diplomatic, kind, generous characters might be corrupted.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • And by engaging with these powerful militaries, the group reinforced its self-image as a major regional player that was uniquely capable of liberating the Muslim world from corrupting American and Israeli influence.
    — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • Simply douse it with mildly alkaline water, and the polymer begins degrading, breaking down within minutes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Enhancing an enzyme’s plastic-degrading speed typically required extensive genetic modifications that compromised its structural integrity.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • Theirs is the paramount love story here, which works well in some ways but less so in others, somehow diminishing the stakes of their respective longing for Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) and Willoughby (Frank Dillane).
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But people have decided to use their savings and savings is diminishing.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Sciences Po’s turn reflects a European assumption that, whatever happens in the US elections in 2026 and 2028, the American security umbrella is receding over the long term.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • When the water receded, the cliffs were exposed and began eroding, revealing prehistoric remains.
    — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of recede
Verb
  • Kennedy boasted about the administration’s moves to downsize the childhood vaccination schedule and reshape a key vaccine advisory board — steps that have since been halted by a judge.
    — Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Kennedy boasted about the administration's moves to downsize the childhood vaccination schedule and reshape a key vaccine advisory board -- steps that have since been halted by a judge.
    — FATIMA HUSSEIN, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of downsize

Browse Nearby Words

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dilapidate
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Cite this Entry

“Dilapidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilapidate. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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