as in illnesses
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant or animal's normal bodily functioning
a sickness that resulted in the death of millions of the nation's elm trees
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sicknesses
The symptoms of our darkest cultural sicknesses become visible.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
From the moment the kids set foot back at school in the fall, until some time around spring break, parents can expect sicknesses to take over their homes faster than the latest viral slang expression.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 Jan. 2026
And among parents, the fear of illnesses like polio, measles and other sicknesses were always present.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.
—B. Derrick Taff, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2025
All their triumphs, all their sleepless nights, their loves and hates, their sicknesses, their schemes, their rises to power and their falls from it -- all gone.
—Paul Prather, Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2016
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
From the moment the kids set foot back at school in the fall, until some time around spring break, parents can expect sicknesses to take over their homes faster than the latest viral slang expression.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 10 Jan. 2026
And among parents, the fear of illnesses like polio, measles and other sicknesses were always present.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Pathogens in human poop can remain active for a long time – over a year in outdoor environments – meaning that waste left behind today can cause severe gastrointestinal disease and other sicknesses for future visitors.
—B. Derrick Taff, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2025
All their triumphs, all their sleepless nights, their loves and hates, their sicknesses, their schemes, their rises to power and their falls from it -- all gone.
—Paul Prather, Arkansas Online, 27 Feb. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sicknesses
Noun
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Aging and damaged brain cells, or neurons, can cause memory problems and limit the brain’s ability to recover from illnesses.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2026
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This challenge is compounded for older Americans with multiple chronic illnesses — the fastest-growing segment of our population.—
Benjamin Kornitzer,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Overwatering can leave grass with weak roots and vulnerable to diseases, so stick to a schedule and spot-treat patches if needed.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
17 Apr. 2026
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However, these squashes can also be vulnerable to common plant diseases like powdery mildew or mosaic virus.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) played in only two games, while quarterback Lamar Jackson missed four games and played through various nagging ailments in others.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
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And as an athlete, I was faced with so many different physical ailments, from muscle soreness, back strains, muscle tears, broken ankles, to my bigger crashes and all of those things.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And this one guy at this one firm can't solve all of his industry's ills.—
Sam Yellowhorse Kesler,
NPR,
8 Apr. 2026
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Even as professional coders are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about the power of AI coding tools, many end users still see them as a boogeyman to instantly blame for any and all observed ills in the tech industry.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In addition to fevers and continuous, watery diarrhea, rotavirus symptoms in babies and children can also include loss of appetite and dehydration, per the NFID.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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Old Herald clippings from 1986 reported about homeowners toilets and sinks smelling like gas, a 3-year-old getting rashes and fevers from drinking the well water and fear of driers exploding.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sicknesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sicknesses. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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