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
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
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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Diarrhea and other intestinal illnesses can cost owners $863 at the veterinarian each visit, according to Nationwide.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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Like other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, HMPV spreads and is more durable in colder temperatures, infectious-disease experts say.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But sulfate aerosol pollution is also a serious health hazard, blamed for about 8 million human deaths per year from lung diseases.—
Michael Wysession,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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Timing for Fertilizing Roses Healthy repeat-blooming roses require nearly year-round feeding from early spring to fall to remain vigorous and resist diseases.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The complaint states Geter Pinder suffers from severe emotional distress, anxiety, paranoia about her safety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other ailments.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
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The complaint states Geter Pinder suffers from severe emotional distress, anxiety, paranoia about her safety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other ailments.—
Abby Dodge,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Faced with high rates of suicide and other ills such as addiction, corrections officers have long been concerned about the stress and violence of their jobs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Reform’s pitch to voters is that, for many of these ills, mass immigration is to blame.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Atomic-scale materials Modern processors suffer from internal fevers as billions of transistors generate heat that impacts performance and external sensors struggle to measure accurately.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
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Health officials said taking the painkiller increased the risk of having a kid with autism, even though the scientific consensus finds no link and untreated fevers carry their own risks to the pregnant person and the neurodevelopment of the fetus.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sicknesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sicknesses. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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