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
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Recent Examples of putrefaction
When the surgeons finally opened her with a piece of broken glass, the putrefaction was as warm as life.
—
Nell Zink, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
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
Here was an artist drawn irresistibly to executions and corpses, dismemberment and putrefaction.
—airmail.news, 20 Apr. 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
See All Example Sentences for putrefaction
Nell Zink, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
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
Here was an artist drawn irresistibly to executions and corpses, dismemberment and putrefaction.
—airmail.news, 20 Apr. 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
See All Example Sentences for putrefaction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefaction
Noun
-
Forensic pathologist Shaku Teas, who reviewed the autopsy report on Chiodo, testified the body was in a state of advanced decomposition by the time it was found.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Composting lime peels boosts decomposition and improves soil health.—
Abby Monteil,
The Spruce,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Your local climate dictates specific maintenance needs, such as checking for rust in coastal areas or rubber decay in hot regions.—
Danny Smith,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
Enamel erosion makes teeth more susceptible to sensitivity, staining, and decay.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putrefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefaction. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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