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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Recent Examples of rust
Not only can the detergents and water pressure cause your cast iron items to rust, but your machine can also strip away the valuable seasoning oils that have accumulated on your cookware over time.
—
Caroline Biggs, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
But when that car started rusting, it was taken down, and a police cruiser donated by GM in 1995 went up in its place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
These artifacts, like the late 20th- and early 21st-century shipwrecks rusting in Caicos Banks, were monuments to the foundering dreams of successive generations, who tried and failed to make the land pay.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Subjected to the weather, propane tanks may rust and corrode.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rust
Caroline Biggs, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
But when that car started rusting, it was taken down, and a police cruiser donated by GM in 1995 went up in its place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
These artifacts, like the late 20th- and early 21st-century shipwrecks rusting in Caicos Banks, were monuments to the foundering dreams of successive generations, who tried and failed to make the land pay.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Subjected to the weather, propane tanks may rust and corrode.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rust
Verb
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Tubers with healthy shoots get a head start on the growing process and are less likely to rot in the ground.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Feb. 2026
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Of the millions of mattresses discarded each year globally, only a small fraction is ever recycled, leaving the vast majority to rot in overstuffed landfills.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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About 10 percent of the county’s waste is green material, which includes decaying trees and invasive plants.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
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Not only does topping a crape myrtle turn it into an eyesore, but these brutal pruning cuts can cause disease and decay to set into the wood.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This creates 22,000 metric tons of waste that can take up to 120 years to decompose, making these bulky items one of the most difficult and persistent challenges in modern recycling.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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His work on Prototaxites fossils has shown that the ancient organisms didn’t use photosynthesis to produce energy from light like plants, but likely consumed carbon sources in the environment — just as some living fungi live off decomposing organic matter.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That negativity has corroded Frank’s standing at Spurs over time.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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As the song progresses, more elements—slow-moving filter sweeps, waltzing arpeggios, a deep and doomy bassline—appear and disappear, moving into the fore of the stereo field before corroding and flaking away.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rust. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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