as in rot
a pervasive moral or social decay
a society beset by moral gangrene
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Recent Examples of gangrene
One of the more serious symptoms of diabetes is foot ulcers, which can go largely unnoticed, turn into a blister, and develop into gangrene or sepsis before requiring an amputation.
—
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025
The ulcerated area might be getting so little blood that the tissue itself begins to die, known as gangrene.
—Ruth Jessen Hickman, Md, Verywell Health, 10 Apr. 2025
At one site in Lancaster, a 69-year-old man being treated for gangrene died after a nurse gave him a four-drug cocktail that included the painkiller Norco and the sedative Ativan, state investigators reported.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
To stave off gangrene, Batzer had a thumb, several fingers, a foot, and a portion of one leg amputated.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangrene
Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Sep. 2025
The ulcerated area might be getting so little blood that the tissue itself begins to die, known as gangrene.
—Ruth Jessen Hickman, Md, Verywell Health, 10 Apr. 2025
At one site in Lancaster, a 69-year-old man being treated for gangrene died after a nurse gave him a four-drug cocktail that included the painkiller Norco and the sedative Ativan, state investigators reported.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
To stave off gangrene, Batzer had a thumb, several fingers, a foot, and a portion of one leg amputated.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gangrene
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gangrene
Noun
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The files have become yet another data point suggesting a deep rot inside of many American institutions.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
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Here, the joyous and the boisterous contrast the dark and insidious, allowing viewers to both be delighted by colorful street scenes and celebrations while the rot of fear creeps in, as the details surrounding our main character (Wagner Moura) and his predicament are revealed.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Texas attorney general beat a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges and reached a deal to end a long-running securities fraud case but now faces a contentious divorce over allegations of adultery.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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Demonstrators called for the country’s leaders to step down over widespread corruption, government paralysis and failing infrastructure, and for an end to the country’s sectarian power-sharing system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The season emulates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and avoiding the temptations of evil in the desert, as mentioned in the Bible.—
Marina Johnson,
IndyStar,
20 Feb. 2026
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Beethoven’s music improves Goethe, extracting its humanity and frailty, and Dudamel’s performance probed its profound inevitability of good triumphing over evil.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To more explicitly address his concerns about environmental degradation, Lambert attached an infographic and explanatory statement next to his work.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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As a result of the degradation, there is a higher risk of metal fragments being launched into the cabin by the airbags when deployed.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Denver author Josiah Hesse was raised by Evangelical parents in churches that believe in the torments of hell, that their poverty is due to their sinfulness and lack of faith.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
1 Feb. 2026
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This lawless crew shares dramaturgical DNA with the vice figures from medieval morality plays, personifications of sinfulness who would confide their schemes to the audience and make theatergoers their co-conspirators in a riveting game that obviously left its mark on a young Shakespeare.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After its seemingly benign opening, the movie captures the appalling conditions under which the inmates are kept, with unblinking scenes of bullying, force feeding, strip searches and squalor.—
Chloe Veltman,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
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Many came from grinding poverty and squalor.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This approach can be applied to any behavior, including crime and immorality.—
Christopher M. Filley,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
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Forehand, in his own words, explains to NBC News the before, during and after of the trick that could give him Olympic immorality.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Then again, the transcript of his halftime show was pure raunch and filth.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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The clash of beauty and filth is well suited for Brontë’s desolate tale of romance in a tempestuous climate, where Cathy is constantly caught between Victorian propriety and her baser, wilder nature.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gangrene.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gangrene. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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