1
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the house slowly fell into disrepair and rotted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposes
to go through decomposition
rotting vegetation on the bank of the river
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of rots
The big differences between the labs probably reflect the fact that, as Italians like to say, the fish rots from the head.
—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more).
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
Critics have long warned that too much television rots your brain, but new evidence suggests at least some time in front of the tube may actually benefit your mental health.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
If Britain continues down the path of criminalizing thought and prayer, the alliance risks being reduced to polite diplomacy while its moral core rots away.
—Lois McLatchie Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Bacterial plant diseases include speck (a winter-surviving infection that attacks tomatoes), canker (which damages fruit trees including those producing apples and peaches), and blight (which rots melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans, and more).
—New Atlas, 10 Jan. 2026
Critics have long warned that too much television rots your brain, but new evidence suggests at least some time in front of the tube may actually benefit your mental health.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
If Britain continues down the path of criminalizing thought and prayer, the alliance risks being reduced to polite diplomacy while its moral core rots away.
—Lois McLatchie Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rots
Verb
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The turtle slows, more organisms attach, and the animal’s condition deteriorates.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
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The movie, out now, follows Irene (Liu), her son Joe (Lawrence Shou), whose relationship deteriorates in the wake of his schizophrenia diagnosis.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Another process, thermogenic hydrogen formation, occurs in deep sedimentary basins when organic material decomposes under high temperatures, roughly 480 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit (250 to 500 degrees Celsius).—
Promise Longe,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
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The clever bit is when these fuels flow through the Draper engine and encounter a catalyst that decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into high-pressure oxygen and steam.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
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The song was inspired by surviving a toxic relationship, and then finding a true-hearted love that crumbles emotional walls.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The café disintegrates, white-peach mimosas lost forever.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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If the American state disintegrates, future postmortems are unlikely to focus much on measles, or on rotavirus vaccination rates.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As the summer air thickens with diffused sunlight and harsh humidity, a psychological fog descends on our young protagonist.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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And water aerobics for senior women descends into a bizarre request.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This state then decays through a two-step cascade, releasing two photons in rapid succession.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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But Daye naturally decays at the end of each season, unless she is rebuilt using the branches, berries, and blooms of the next.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday urged for a peaceful resolution of the Afghanistan-Pakistan dispute, warning the use of force worsens tensions and threatens regional stability.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
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At high speeds, the rotors generate significant drag, which worsens as the blades spin faster.—
David Szondy
March 09,
New Atlas,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Enrollment declines, class size law The plan was put in motion when Samuels was serving as the local superintendent of District 3.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Gradual buys preserve flexibility if the market declines further.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rots. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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