decompose 1 of 2

decomposition

2 of 2

noun

as in decay
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances the unmistakable smell of decomposition led us to some fruit that had fallen behind the refrigerator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decompose
Verb
In a search warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, officials revealed that Arakawa's body was found decomposed with bloating on her face and mummification in her hands and feet. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Apr. 2025 Funk assures that the softened, decomposing cardboard will allow plants to grow through. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025 The company suggests that AWS Transform can decompose monolithic z/OS COBOL applications into components that can be run in the cloud. Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025 The smell, an odor like rotten eggs, is the sargassum piles decomposing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Mitchell Willetts, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
  • Mohammadi works with materials that disintegrate, for instance halva, soap, letting their ephemerality echo the fragility of memory.
    Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
  • Toward the end of the movie, Bob’s house of shame disintegrates.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • The flesh was rotting off his feet, and his tendons were exposed from frostbite.
    Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2025
  • Also, check for hollows in trunks that may mean the interior portion is rotting.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 May 2025
Noun
  • The active preparation takes a few minutes; depending on the quantity and temperature, the fermentation process takes 24-48 hours.
    Desireé Oostland, Vogue, 22 May 2025
  • Sourdough is made through a fermentation process that involves naturally occurring yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, which results in a tangy-tasting, chewy bread.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • When the surgeons finally opened her with a piece of broken glass, the putrefaction was as warm as life.
    Nell Zink, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Here was an artist drawn irresistibly to executions and corpses, dismemberment and putrefaction.
    airmail.news, airmail.news, 20 Apr. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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