as in rotting
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value
the house slowly fell into disrepair and rotted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition
rotting vegetation on the bank of the river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 rotted
John Mariani, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Robin Wright, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
That includes money to replace a lot of wood that rotted away due to holes in the roof and walls.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
With the high humidity, most of the stock had rotted in a few days.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Rourke alleged that the floors were rotted, there was no running water in a couple of places there should have been and the place was infested with rodents.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Vineyards were ripped out in record numbers in California, France, and elsewhere, and in some regions, grapes went unharvested and rotted on the vine.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 4 Jan. 2026
Economies rotted under the weight of crony capitalism or the various lies, cheats, and inefficiencies of socialism, unless temporarily sustained by external aid (Cuba) or oil (Iraq, Libya, Iran).
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
The foundation is sand, and the frame has rotted.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 11 Dec. 2025
While Mexico completed its about-face on migration, California’s lettuce crop rotted due to a lack of farmhands.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Politically, the regime has rotted from within, discarding, discrediting, or detaining its own kind.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
That includes money to replace a lot of wood that rotted away due to holes in the roof and walls.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Jan. 2026
With the high humidity, most of the stock had rotted in a few days.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Rourke alleged that the floors were rotted, there was no running water in a couple of places there should have been and the place was infested with rodents.
—Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Vineyards were ripped out in record numbers in California, France, and elsewhere, and in some regions, grapes went unharvested and rotted on the vine.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 4 Jan. 2026
Economies rotted under the weight of crony capitalism or the various lies, cheats, and inefficiencies of socialism, unless temporarily sustained by external aid (Cuba) or oil (Iraq, Libya, Iran).
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
The foundation is sand, and the frame has rotted.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 11 Dec. 2025
While Mexico completed its about-face on migration, California’s lettuce crop rotted due to a lack of farmhands.
—Time, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotted
Verb
-
Unlike conventional implants that anchor in the jawbone, zygomatic implants extend into the cheekbone (zygoma), which remains dense even when jaw bone has deteriorated.—
Malana VanTyler,
jsonline.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Thousands of doctors being paid state wages that can hardly afford them a carton of eggs have emigrated from the country and hospitals have rapidly deteriorated.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fifty-six days later, homicide investigators arrive at Oliver’s apartment to find an unidentified body—brutally murdered and intentionally decomposed.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The body was decomposed, a fire official said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some are sandy; others are rich in organic matter formed from centuries of decayed plants.—
Dinesh Phuyal,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Of the 20 dead cats, eight were too decayed for a necropsy exam, which determines the cause of death of a dead animal and any associated diseases or injuries.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Software stocks have crumbled already this year, as investors worried the latest AI models will hurt a sector reliant on high fees for its business.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
-
After Malinin botched his final free in the singles competition, Cowan kept his distance as the skater crumbled into a grimace of abject disappointment.—
Colleen Barry,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Stars had rebounded from a season-worst, six-match winless skid to construct a three-game points streak, which disintegrated on Tuesday in just their second loss in eight tail ends of back-to-back sets.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Eberflus’ best intentions and vision for winning football disintegrated due in part to his team’s lack of discipline and the coaching staff’s inability to steer out of even the smallest skids.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Reviews not so good right now at 57% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The beams holding up the room were rotten, and had to be replaced or the room was eventually going to give way underneath.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Armed soldiers descended on the parliament by helicopter and attempted to storm the chamber where lawmakers were gathered.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
In a predawn raid in Jackson Heights, scores of militarized agents from the Department of Homeland Security descended with assault weapons on a residential building, removing a man and woman from their apartment.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those engineering decisions worsened Katrina’s destruction.—
Melina Walling,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Kaley said her use of the platforms worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rotted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotted. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
