OXIDIZE Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

oxidize

verb

Definition of oxidize

as in to decompose

to combine chemically with oxygen Iron will oxidize if it is exposed to air and moisture.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 oxidize These oxidizing species can chemically react with the membrane that surrounds a bacterium, damaging and destroying it. — Rahul Rao, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026 The other is methemoglobinemia, a condition where hemoglobin is oxidized into a form that can’t release oxygen to tissue. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The leaves used to make green tea are not oxidized during processing. — Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 3 Aug. 2026 DeRosa highlighted aubergine, rust, terra-cotta, burgundy, and oxidized earth tones. — Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for oxidize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oxidize

Verb

Van der Heijden’s team reported that the fastest decomposing underwear was buried in residential gardens.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026
Determining the causes of death was complicated by how decomposed the bodies were, the medical examiner’s office said.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of decompose

Verb

The rusting hull — once a famed vessel known as the Slovenian — surfaced earlier this month from the Sava River near the Serbian town of Sremska Mitrovica, 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of the capital of Belgrade.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
The rusting hull — once a famed vessel known as the Slovenian — surfaced earlier this month from the Sava River near the Serbian town of Sremska Mitrovica, 45 miles northwest of the capital of Belgrade.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rust

Verb

For decades, Mamdani’s predecessors have found the only choice more politically unpalatable than letting the whole three-layer cake of infrastructure crumble away is trying to stop it from crumbling.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 24 Aug. 2026
The crumbling structure carries roughly 130,000 vehicles daily — of which some 13,000 are trucks — and has been in serious need of repair since the de Blasio administration.

— Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of crumble

Browse Nearby Words

oxcarts

oxidize

oxidized

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Oxidize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oxidize. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of oxidize

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gumption

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes