as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
clearing the refrigerator of what the previous tenant had left behind was like taking a course in the advanced putrefaction of leftovers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 putrefaction
Kellogg’s thinking on constipation, that anything less than three bowel movements a day risked dangerous intestinal putrefaction, was shaped by the emerging germ theory of disease and the ascent of bacteriology as a discipline through the closing decades of the 19th century.
—
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Not the smell of putrefaction, though the novel is littered with rotting corpses.
—Nathaniel Rich, The New York Review of Books, 30 Nov. 2023
Gut bacteria, especially a class of microbes called Clostridia, spread through your organs and digest you from the inside out in a process called putrefaction.
—Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023
Once the body is out of sight underground, embalmed tissues eventually melt into a toxic putrefaction.
—Joan Meiners, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for putrefaction
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Not the smell of putrefaction, though the novel is littered with rotting corpses.
—Nathaniel Rich, The New York Review of Books, 30 Nov. 2023
Gut bacteria, especially a class of microbes called Clostridia, spread through your organs and digest you from the inside out in a process called putrefaction.
—Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023
Once the body is out of sight underground, embalmed tissues eventually melt into a toxic putrefaction.
—Joan Meiners, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for putrefaction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefaction
decay
Noun
-
The organization sought help from city and private agencies, banks, philanthropies and local businesses to rescue a community that had become a national symbol of urban decay.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2025
-
But beyond its aesthetically pleasing packaging, this toothpaste works wonders by whitening teeth and helping prevent tooth decay, tartar, and plaque.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putrefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefaction. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share