dilapidating

present participle of dilapidate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilapidating
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
  • The 110-floor south tower, struck shortly after the north tower by another plane, was disintegrating.
    — Diane Herbst, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Maintain The Lawn Lovebugs lay their eggs in moist, decomposing materials.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Fifteen months later, 56 decomposing bodies were found at their South Chicago Chapel.
    — Susana Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • No less slippery are his matinée-idol looks, which can turn wolfish or ratty on a dime, as if his beauty were moldering away from within.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Getting the rotting food off racks towering six stories high required hundreds of workers in protective suits to dislodge the moldering food.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The study showed that adding synthetic, non-canonical amino acids called azatryptophans to plastic-degrading enzymes (PETases) can break the trade-off between catalytic activity and thermal stability.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Simply douse it with mildly alkaline water, and the polymer begins degrading, breaking down within minutes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
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
Verb
  • The book describes trips to the archive, and then off into the ruins of the asylum, which were crumbling and also being turned into condominiums.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Add the chicken, garlic powder, and chili powder and cook for 6 minutes, crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon or a potato masher (see note below), until browned.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Choose opportunities that expand your options without diminishing your excellence.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Gadgets with screens of any size have long been allegedly melting, rotting, and/or corrupting the brains of youths for decades.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Dilapidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilapidating. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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