as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
in the years following the closing of the last textile mill, the town atrophied
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degeneration
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrophy
Lily Scherlis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Not moving your joints takes a toll over the long haul, because the surrounding muscles will atrophy (get smaller and weaker).
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 9 May 2024
Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
This is particularly true with menopausal women who commonly experience vaginal dryness and atrophy (thinning).9
Urethral Syndrome vs. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
The symptoms of urethral syndrome are largely indistinguishable from those of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection.
—Laura Young, Verywell Health, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Verb
The idea that our human connections have atrophied over the past few years is by no means entirely wrong.
—Lily Scherlis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
Not moving your joints takes a toll over the long haul, because the surrounding muscles will atrophy (get smaller and weaker).
—Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 9 May 2024
Noun
Despite strict fitness routines to counter muscle atrophy and brittle bones, astronauts face several challenges upon their return to Earth.
—Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
This is particularly true with menopausal women who commonly experience vaginal dryness and atrophy (thinning).9
Urethral Syndrome vs. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
The symptoms of urethral syndrome are largely indistinguishable from those of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection.
—Laura Young, Verywell Health, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophy
Verb
-
Their mental health deteriorated, which reinforced the officer’s excuse to keep them deadlocked.—
Justyna Rzewinski,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
-
While more durable than the original Irish linen that encased the wings when the KC Eaglet rolled out of the factory on Aug. 12, 1930, all fabrics will deteriorate over time from exposure to the sun.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Histological examination showed no signs of retinal degeneration, even in individuals likely several hundreds of years old.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
Moral degeneration accompanies the physical; lying is one of the outstanding characteristics, probably due to lack of moral equilibrium.—
Wade Davis,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo declined to comment on the WSJ report.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
-
Yields have risen and the dollar has declined moderately.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Sulzberger writes passionately about the existential threats facing a free press, from economic collapse to political intimidation, and how journalism must stand as a bulwark in a time of profound civic deterioration.—
Jessica Sibley,
Time,
19 May 2025
-
On modern iPhones, Apple has a feature called Charge Limit that works as an opt-in feature limiting your phone to 80% charge to help reduce the deterioration of the battery.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
13 May 2025
Verb
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There are also mental health impacts with worsening anxiety, stress, and depression in the hotter summer months.—
Jamie Hailstone,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
Relations have only worsened in recent years, as Beijing has leveraged its budding economic and military power to ramp up pressure on its neighbor.—
ELY RATNER,
Foreign Affairs,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Teeth grinding can also cause more cavities to occur as grinding teeth together strips them of some of the protective enamel that could otherwise prevent tooth decay.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
All water has some fluoride, but many cities and counties in the state add more to help prevent tooth decay.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2025
Verb
-
Old systems are crumbling under the pressure of new conditions.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
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For the characters who remain, there’s a sense that the world’s well of meaning has run dry; the old institutions have crumbled, and no one is coming to save us.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
The intense setup here is fairly straightforward as these types of sci-fi mystery shows go, with Buenos Aires residents going about their evenings when a sudden nightmarish snowfall descends over the metropolis, killing millions indiscriminately.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
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The American entrepreneur was one of the five passengers killed on June 18, 2023, while the compact submersible descended en route to the wreckage of the Titanic, and Rush is now in all the talking heads' crosshairs as the villain of this tragic story.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophy. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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