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 Anyone caught on the receiving end of a DIY soccer cleat loaded with sharp, likely rusting metal nails probably wasn’t getting back up to finish the game. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 Part of the fun is how Young himself refuses to rust into a nostalgia act. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026 Is a suspension cable losing its structural strength because its inner steel wires are rusting away? — Alex Krasnok, Scientific American, 25 June 2026 The folding chairs are made from sturdy steel that can get through the summer sun, the winter snow, and the spring rain without rusting. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rust

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rust

Verb

More than 85 million pounds of food were being stored at the warehouse, and as of Wednesday, 3,195 tons of the now-rotting material had been removed from the site, according to Lineage.

— City News Service, Daily News, 25 July 2026
But in the weeks since, the stench of rotting food has drifted into nearby neighborhoods.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

Definition of rot

Verb

Blackwater of the Okefenokee Swamp, caused by tannins leached from decaying vegetation, reflects cypress trees at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Tuesday, August 12, 2025, in Folkston.

— Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
During the second inspection, inspectors found decaying organic waste, wastewater, food residue, unsanitary conditions that allowed the breeding of flies, as well as live and dead flies along the northern perimeter of the warehouse.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026

Definition of decay

Verb

Of the powerful smell a decomposing body produces, Ho noted the stench was noticeable down the hall from the autopsy room.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
About four months after Celeste’s death, her decomposing body was found in the Tesla registered to Burke after it was towed from the Hollywood Hills in September.

— Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026

Definition of decompose

Verb

Whether such goals can be achieved, and whether failing to achieve them will corrode public support, is another matter.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
The acidity in bird droppings can corrode metal, stain wood, dull finishes, and etch paint if left too long.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 July 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 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of rust

verb

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