as in rotting
to form rust
The old car was left to rust in the yard of the abandoned house.
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Recent Examples of rusting
Due to its strength, contact with even a diluted bleach solution can cause pitting (localized, severe corrosion causing small holes) and rusting on blades.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Feb. 2026
Check out these recommendations on how to properly store a cast-iron lid and keep your cast iron from rusting.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 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
But the salt air has taken a toll, and the stairways and landings going down to the beach were in bad shape with peeling paint, crumbling concrete steps and exposed, rusting rebar.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
Permafrost thaw is turning rivers orange As permafrost – the frozen ground that underlies much of the Arctic – continues its long-term warming and thaw, one emerging consequence is the spread of rusting rivers.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Researchers have observed higher acidity and a greater concentration of toxic metals in these rusting streams.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
These pots are exactly like the ones described above, except that they have been coated in porcelain enamel in order to protect them from rusting.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Sep. 2025
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Feb. 2026
Check out these recommendations on how to properly store a cast-iron lid and keep your cast iron from rusting.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 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
But the salt air has taken a toll, and the stairways and landings going down to the beach were in bad shape with peeling paint, crumbling concrete steps and exposed, rusting rebar.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
Permafrost thaw is turning rivers orange As permafrost – the frozen ground that underlies much of the Arctic – continues its long-term warming and thaw, one emerging consequence is the spread of rusting rivers.
—Matthew L. Druckenmiller, The Conversation, 16 Dec. 2025
Researchers have observed higher acidity and a greater concentration of toxic metals in these rusting streams.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
These pots are exactly like the ones described above, except that they have been coated in porcelain enamel in order to protect them from rusting.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusting
Verb
-
The fruit can have a little give, but a very soft lemon is overripe or rotting.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The conservancy's plan to shoot the deer from the air, using helicopters, was shut down in 2024 after residents voiced concerns of bullets raining down and rotting deer carcasses that would be left behind.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mulch is also readily available, provided by the tree’s own slowly decomposing leaves, which fall throughout the year since this species is evergreen.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The following month, on April 17, 1996, two county workers stumbled across the decomposing remains of Kenneth Smith.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
RTGs transform the heat from decaying matter into electrical power for spacecraft.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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That decaying wood can enrich the soil of a brand-new flower bed.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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In the 1980s, I was impressed by Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death, which argued that television was corroding American society and democracy.—
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rusting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusting. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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