1
as in to worsen
to become worse or of less value
the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deteriorate
If the experience is OK for the most part but maybe your battery life has deteriorated, try doing a battery swap first—Apple offers a battery replacement program for a modest fee—and this could breathe new life into your device.
—
Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2025
However, Sophia's health deteriorated on April 10, 2017, The Times stated.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
The smear marks a new low in the deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relationship.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 19 Feb. 2025
The resume isn't dead yet and still can serve as a solid summary of one's professional life, but its influence is certainly deteriorating.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2025
However, Sophia's health deteriorated on April 10, 2017, The Times stated.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
The smear marks a new low in the deteriorating U.S.-Ukraine relationship.
—Barak Ravid, Axios, 19 Feb. 2025
The resume isn't dead yet and still can serve as a solid summary of one's professional life, but its influence is certainly deteriorating.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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In the next episode, which followed the premiere, the feud continued to worsen.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
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Elsewhere in the Keys, worsening water quality has been identified as one of the factors responsible for a decline in bonefish and tarpon, and the devastation of Florida's coral reefs.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Most microplastics are made on land, where larger plastic debris degrades into tinier and tinier pieces.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
7 Mar. 2025
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The other reason is that our news ecosystem is rapidly degrading, particularly online.—
Jeffrey Blehar,
National Review,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Today, despite its crumbling condition, the concrete trough still attracts young Bosnian athletes chasing Olympic dreams.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2025
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But the vaccine's power to beat back measles outbreaks starts to crumble when vaccination rates drop low enough.—
Alyson Hurt,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But the Trump administration's new cuts further weaken a banking watchdog that has been sounding the alarm for years about its decreasing ability to prevent future banking crises.—
Maria Aspan,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2025
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Fed officials are closely monitoring inflation and the labor market for signs of a potentially weakening economy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Research from analytics firm Gallup shows that U.S. alcohol consumption is declining, with younger generations drinking significantly less than their predecessors.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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Daily meme coin launches peaked shortly after the $trump coin debut but have declined sharply.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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It has been corrupted over time into something like a generalized celebration of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and the other 43 highly varied men who preceded them in holding the nation’s highest office.—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Feb. 2025
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If green ever corrupted itself with red, both would end up the same brown mud.—
Jackson Arn,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Zelenskyy arrived in the U.K. on Saturday, straight from his visit to Washington, D.C., in which an Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance descended into an open argument in front of gathered reporters.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2025
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Former Soviet territories descended into a civil war that recalled the nineteenth century.—
James Verini,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The intense criticism of the COVID response has left a lingering public distrust in health and diminished their influence.—
Tina Reed,
Axios,
10 Mar. 2025
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The seeming smallness of the story does nothing to diminish the film’s bleakness nor blunt its ultimately devastating impact.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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