as in illnesses
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
they caught a rare disease while they were traveling in Africa and were sick for weeks
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Recent Examples of diseases
In adults, physical activity helps to prevent and manage health problems like cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety—while also enhancing brain health and overall wellbeing—according to the World Health Organization.
—
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Specifically, the study found that the teens and young adults required medical care for common mental disorders like anxiety and depression, a physical health condition, injuries and poisoning, and other physical diseases.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Hviid and others say trying to remove aluminum would cause significant problems for protecting people against serious diseases.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Aging drives many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Lawn Diseases Many lawn diseases are caused by fungus that love the cool, damp conditions under wet leaves.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
In addition, longevity analysis is limited because mortality data for noncommunicable diseases didn’t go beyond age 70.
—Lindsey Leake, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Fights Inflammation The anti-inflammatory power of broccoli is tied to a reduced risk of chronic (long-term) diseases.
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 30 Oct. 2025
Instead, the soldiers carried bacteria that cause enteric fever and relapsing fever, two diseases that may have hastened the army’s downfall.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Specifically, the study found that the teens and young adults required medical care for common mental disorders like anxiety and depression, a physical health condition, injuries and poisoning, and other physical diseases.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Hviid and others say trying to remove aluminum would cause significant problems for protecting people against serious diseases.
—NPR, 31 Oct. 2025
Aging drives many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Lawn Diseases Many lawn diseases are caused by fungus that love the cool, damp conditions under wet leaves.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
In addition, longevity analysis is limited because mortality data for noncommunicable diseases didn’t go beyond age 70.
—Lindsey Leake, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Fights Inflammation The anti-inflammatory power of broccoli is tied to a reduced risk of chronic (long-term) diseases.
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 30 Oct. 2025
Instead, the soldiers carried bacteria that cause enteric fever and relapsing fever, two diseases that may have hastened the army’s downfall.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diseases
Noun
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Contractors working on the project recently completed pouring the foundation for what will provide smaller housing units meant to make quarantining detainees with communicable illnesses safer and easier.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
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The world’s most popular YouTuber partnered with Disney, Make-A-Wish America and YouTube to grant a Frightfully Fun Wish for 40 kids who’ve battled critical illnesses and wished to meet their favorite content creators.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Salmonella rarely results in more serious ailments, which can include arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms.—
Eva Wen,
jsonline.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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This is based on a mix of historical accounts, the discovery of body lice on the remains of soldiers (which carried the pathogens that transmitted the ailments), and DNA analyses conducted nearly a decade ago.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.—
B. Derrick Taff,
The Conversation,
29 Aug. 2025
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All their triumphs, all their sleepless nights, their loves and hates, their sicknesses, their schemes, their rises to power and their falls from it -- all gone.—
Paul Prather,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2016
Noun
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Ratti believes similar operations can be the soothing balm for retailers’ current ills.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
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And officials have long looked to play up the ills of other countries, especially the US, to boost their own image for domestic and, increasingly, international audiences.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And while mediators such as the United States, Egypt and Qatar play key roles in setting the political conditions for deals, the ICRC alone is poised to facilitate such swaps.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, forecasters said.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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According to Healthline, lymphoproliferative disorders are a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled production of white blood cells called lymphocytes.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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As a result, many neurodevelopmental disorders such as severe epilepsy can occur.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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If there are regions where public health officials never report illnesses with rashes and fevers, for example, that’s a red flag that measles could be spreading undetected.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
3 Nov. 2025
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High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diseases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diseases. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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