RUST Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

rust

verb

Definition of rust

as in to rot

to form rust The old car was left to rust in the yard of the abandoned house.

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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 rust This is particularly necessary for knives made from high-carbon steel, which are prone to rusting. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026 Haddad clarifies that vinyl itself doesn’t rust, which means that any visible rust on the siding is coming from something else. — The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026 Amid a palette of earth tones—from sand to rust, caramel to chocolate—the brown skirt made an appearance on countless fall-winter 2026–2027 runways. — Emma Bocchi, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2026 Galen Beede, owner of Beede AC and Heating, says mulch can trap moisture against the condenser’s base pan, potentially causing the cabinet to rust from the bottom up. — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rust

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rust

Verb

And speaking of resisting the robots, Joshua Rothman has put together a techy gift guide of gadgets and gizmos that won’t rot brains.

— Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
The former may be a cesspool that rots our brains and amplifies ethnic hatred, but its dangers don’t compare to the dangers of RSI.

— Sigal Samuel, Vox, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of rot

Verb

Over time, the orbit of the pair can decay, the duo slowly approaching one another.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
These showers won’t make their way to Sacramento, but a few passing clouds over the region are expected late morning and early afternoon as the decaying pulse of earlier rain passes.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of decay

Verb

The body of 76-year-old Ronald Tyler was already decomposing by the time his daughter Terri found out where he was being stored.

— Dave Savini, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
The coins were originally buried together in a container made of organic material that has since decomposed, archaeologists believe.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of decompose

Verb

Early molten salt methods failed to keep the salt bath from corroding the valuable silicon substrate.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
The problem, however, is its high chloride content, which can corrode electrodes and other electrolyzer components, and also trigger unwanted reactions that produce toxic chlorine compounds.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of corrode

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rushing

rust

rusted

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“Rust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rust. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of rust

verb

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