as in to disintegrate
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Examples 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
Christine Pelisek, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Gabriela Hearst, for example, has received credibility and attention for using anti-radiation fabrics and bio-plastics packaging that decompose in 24 weeks, yet the craftmanship can be compared to icons like Hermès.
—London Business School, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The sight of Till’s mutilated and decomposed corpse at his open-casket funeral galvanized the civil-rights movement.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Listen to this article A zombie ant, a pair of bats and a gorilla lurked around the shadiest alcoves of a Cook County forest preserve on Saturday, scouring the earth for decomposing life forms.
—Peter Breen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decompose 
Verb
Authorities were unable to determine a cause of death because the bodies were badly decomposed — and Laci's body was missing the head and both forearms.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Gabriela Hearst, for example, has received credibility and attention for using anti-radiation fabrics and bio-plastics packaging that decompose in 24 weeks, yet the craftmanship can be compared to icons like Hermès.
—London Business School, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
The sight of Till’s mutilated and decomposed corpse at his open-casket funeral galvanized the civil-rights movement.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Listen to this article A zombie ant, a pair of bats and a gorilla lurked around the shadiest alcoves of a Cook County forest preserve on Saturday, scouring the earth for decomposing life forms.
—Peter Breen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
-
The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Then, as my filet disintegrated on the journey between baking tray and plate, my suspicions were confirmed.Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 4 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Uncontrolled tooth decay can lead to infections, loss of teeth and painful abscesses.Erika Edwards, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
-
The decomposition process would be slow, though, seeing as there is no oxygen in space to help move the process along, and dry air would also slow decay.Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Then the divers began to find porcelain, more than three hundred and fifty thousand pieces in all, many of them stacked in eerie columns, their wooden crates having rotted away.Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
-
Its wooden exterior is black due to it being burnt using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method of charring wood to protect and preserve it from insects and rotting.Adam Williams, New Atlas, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Chattanooga's Experimental Distillery focuses on small-batch innovations, testing new mash bills, barrel finishes, and fermentation techniques.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Harvest occurred between August 15 and 30, and after fermentation the wines were aged on the lees for one year in a combination of new oak, used oak, concrete eggs, and stainless-steel eggs.Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Kellogg’s thinking on constipation, that anything less than three bowel movements a day risked dangerous intestinal putrefaction, was shaped by the emerging germ theory of disease and the ascent of bacteriology as a discipline through the closing decades of the 19th century.Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
-
Not the smell of putrefaction, though the novel is littered with rotting corpses.Nathaniel Rich, The New York Review of Books, 30 Nov. 2023
Thesaurus Entries Near decompose
Cite this Entry
“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share