as in to decompose
to combine chemically with oxygen
Iron will oxidize if it is exposed to air and moisture.
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Recent Examples of oxidize
Nitrifying microbes, which oxidize ammonia before plants can take it up, have long competed with plants for nitrogen.
—
Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
For that to work, plant cells actually oxidize a carbon back off, releasing carbon dioxide, in order to create a two-carbon source for building lipids.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
What's more, the oxidizing process would simply start again, and the entire structure would turn green again in a few short years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Compounds in both these minerals are part of a chemical process called redox gradients, which refers to a series of gradual changes over physical space where chemicals can oxidize (lose electrons) or reduce (gain electrons).
—Amy J. Williams, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oxidize
Katherine Bourzac, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
For that to work, plant cells actually oxidize a carbon back off, releasing carbon dioxide, in order to create a two-carbon source for building lipids.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
What's more, the oxidizing process would simply start again, and the entire structure would turn green again in a few short years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Compounds in both these minerals are part of a chemical process called redox gradients, which refers to a series of gradual changes over physical space where chemicals can oxidize (lose electrons) or reduce (gain electrons).
—Amy J. Williams, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oxidize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oxidize
Verb
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Forensic entomology −the study of insects and arthropods on decomposing bodies − is crucial in homicide and death investigations, Musah told USA TODAY.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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The round spots seemed neat compared with their surroundings, clear of the layers of decomposing plankton spotted elsewhere on the seafloor.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Plus, the aluminum frame won’t rust or corrode after hours in the sun.—
Julia Fields,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
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In West Virginia, Form Energy is harnessing rust itself to unlock a new way of storing renewable power.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Airlines reacted to news that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be reducing air traffic by 10 percent on Friday across 40 airports nationwide amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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O’Shea supported the stance that a child’s behavior is key in determining how to react to high temperatures.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Ethan Hawke stars as Lorenz Hart of legendary songsmiths Rodgers & Hart as the prolific partnership disintegrates to his great dismay.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
17 Oct. 2025
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This difference sounds small, but preventing a few tenths of a degree of warming could keep polar ice caps from completely disintegrating, coral reefs from collapsing and other tipping points from triggering.—
Syris Valentine,
Scientific American,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But when her husband told her that his father would inherit everything, her sense of security began to crumble.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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Vilgefortz, true to form, begins by leading a squadron that blasts magic so aggressively at the fortress that some of them crumble into bones on the spot.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The wicker chairs are sturdy with a steel base that’s weather-resistant and won’t corrode.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
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But political violence committed by private individuals or groups also corrodes constitutional democracy.—
Gregory P. Magarian,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oxidize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oxidize. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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