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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rots
Parents used to tell their children that television rots the brain; now it’s considered a medium for legitimate art.
—
New York Times, 1 June 2026
Training plants to stay off the ground instead of trailing prevents many common fungal diseases, fruit spots, and rots.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
When the seaweed rots, hydrogen sulfide gas is emitted, which smells like rotten eggs.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
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
New York Times, 1 June 2026
Training plants to stay off the ground instead of trailing prevents many common fungal diseases, fruit spots, and rots.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
When the seaweed rots, hydrogen sulfide gas is emitted, which smells like rotten eggs.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rots
Verb
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Meetings grow tense, and communication deteriorates.—
Niurys Robaina,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
There’s less maintenance and less investment in them, so the individual property deteriorates.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The research team enabled a room-temperature, four-electron chemical reaction path that forms and decomposes lithium oxide, which expands available energy storage.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Organic material trapped in reservoirs accumulates and decomposes over time, releasing methane — a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to global warming, Fernández-Garrido told CNN.—
Radina Gigova,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
That is the moment that everything crumbles for Rachel.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
-
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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The skin stretches out and disintegrates, posing a risk of limb amputation.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The psychological horror film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor is about a furniture store owner who descends into his own heart of darkness in his shop.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
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But their friendship comes to a sudden end in episode 5 when law enforcement descends on the farm.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
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In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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As the economic and social situation worsens, Cubans have organized daily protests in various parts of the island.—
Sarah Moreno
June 5,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
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Castro rises to power after brother’s health worsens In 2006, Fidel Castro’s health began to decline, and Raúl Castro was temporarily handed power in late July of that year until Cuba’s National Assembly elected him as president in February 2008.—
Dánica Coto,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Once sterile males are prevalent enough, the fly's population declines and then dies out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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If price declines outpace output gains, total revenues in affected industries must fall, reducing the income available to workers and other producers despite higher levels of production.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rots. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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