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erode

verb

i-ˈrōd How to pronounce erode (audio)
Definition of erodenext
1
as in to eat
to consume or wear away gradually the fear that inflation will continue to erode people's savings

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to wear
to damage or diminish by continued friction the winds and desert sands have eroded much of the original surface of these ancient monuments

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 erode Trust had eroded, communication had become strained, and both teams were frustrated. — Chris Suchánek, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Communities have seen waves pound the coastline, eroding the shore and putting homes and infrastructure at risk. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 This is happening as foundational literacy skills are eroding. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 But critics of the flat-rate COLA, like the nonprofit and nonpartisan AARP, calculate that 80% of beneficiaries would see the purchasing power of their benefits erode year after year, leaving many in or near poverty. — Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for erode
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erode
  1. eat
  2. wear
  3. destroy
  4. fray
  5. corrode
  6. reduce
  7. rub
  8. erase
Verb
  • There are few breaks other than to sleep, eat, hydrate or get his bike fixed.
    — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The people who were gathered at tables around her, eating buffet tacos and sipping cans of Coke Zero, were first- and second-generation Americans getting ready to run for office or to work on political campaigns.
    — Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of eat
Verb
  • Castro wore an orange jumpsuit and appeared behind a glass enclosure.
    — TIM SULLIVAN, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • No shoe can do it all, but in our opinion, a great sneaker comes pretty close — just look at the celebs who can’t stop wearing them.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of wear
Verb
  • The fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins and other structures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mark Zuckerberg certainly wants no part of one, and cutthroat competition seems hard-coded into tech executives, who are rich enough not to need to win but wake up every morning trying to destroy each other anyway.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Despite fraying relations with FIFA, the vibe once the sport began was largely good.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
  • In addition to Robinhood, OG’s exchange powers sports bets for FanDuel Predicts, expanding that relationship as FanDuel’s partnership with CME Group appeared to fray.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of fray
Verb
  • One of its major objectives was to provoke Western states into attacking their own democracies, in a kind of auto-immune response to terrorism, in which the effort to defend the political body corroded it from within.
    — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Constant vigilance against the presence of AI inevitably begets cynicism and threatens to corrode the teacher-student relationship that is at the heart of education.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrode
Verb
  • Its compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Advanced transmission technologies can reduce those losses and increase existing network capacity without requiring entirely new lines.
    — Nana Menya Ayensu, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Danger, Olivo, and Mosco had just eaten by the gazebo and Damaris was rubbing her pup’s head goodnight, about to go into the shack.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • These benefits and opportunities are currently under threat of being dismantled and erased by Belgium’s current right-wing government.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • And many may be counting on the step-up in basis after death to erase the tax.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of erase

Browse Nearby Words

ermines
erode
eroded
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Cite this Entry

“Erode.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erode. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on erode

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about erode

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