as in rusting
to combine chemically with oxygen
Iron will oxidize if it is exposed to air and moisture.
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Recent Examples of oxidizing
In the hole, life drops away quickly as oxygen disappears, below the surface (Oxic Zone) and transition levels (Suboxic Zone); at 100-140 m (330-460 ft), the third layer called the Anoxic Zone I is almost completely dominated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
—
New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 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
Looking ahead, the team plans to add protective coatings to enable the device to survive open-air use without oxidizing.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
Today, the entire industrialized world is held up by the energy released by oxidizing organic carbon back to CO2.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 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
Looking ahead, the team plans to add protective coatings to enable the device to survive open-air use without oxidizing.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
Today, the entire industrialized world is held up by the energy released by oxidizing organic carbon back to CO2.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oxidizing
Verb
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These artifacts, like the late 20th- and early 21st-century shipwrecks rusting in Caicos Banks, were monuments to the foundering dreams of successive generations, who tried and failed to make the land pay.—
Henry Wismayer,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
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But the salt air has taken a toll, and the stairways and landings going down to the beach were in bad shape with peeling paint, crumbling concrete steps and exposed, rusting rebar.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
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For nearly two weeks before embarking on the cross-country road trip, the teenager lived with his parents’ decomposing bodies.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
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The earthy scent of decomposing leaves and soil contributes to the smell.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the campaign also served as a potential gauge of national sentiment, especially how voters are reacting to the president’s second term and Democrats’ messaging ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
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Instead of reacting, read between the lines.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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These signs indicate that the iceberg could be just days or weeks from disintegrating completely.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
8 Jan. 2026
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Instead of the usual disintegrating granola situation, Floura bars are more like fruit bars.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The ensuing 2022-23 season saw Rayo beat both Barca and Madrid when Spain’s big two came to their crumbling Estadio Vallecas.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Frank’s crew rolls into the crumbling squat that is Colombian HQ, sporting body armor and flamethrowers.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But researchers have previously expressed concern over damage to sea beds caused by turbine construction, and leaching of toxic materials from corroding metals.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
19 Dec. 2025
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The failure of the West’s big bet on corroding the great Eurasian authoritarians has, for the time being, turned the West against itself.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oxidizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oxidizing. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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