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
Senior officials in the administration of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson discussed using tactical nuclear weapons against the North Vietnamese if the situation deteriorated, but Johnson shuttered the idea when news of it leaked.
—
Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Combs’ former executive assistant, Phil Pines, detailed how he was forced to work constantly, which deteriorated his mental health.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025
His case was postponed repeatedly as his health slowly deteriorated.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025
The next morning, records show Dukes seemed normal at breakfast, but her condition deteriorated throughout the day until shortly before 5 p.m., when another inmate told staff that Dukes was lying on the floor of her cell, according to the lawsuit.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Paul Avey, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Combs’ former executive assistant, Phil Pines, detailed how he was forced to work constantly, which deteriorated his mental health.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025
His case was postponed repeatedly as his health slowly deteriorated.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025
The next morning, records show Dukes seemed normal at breakfast, but her condition deteriorated throughout the day until shortly before 5 p.m., when another inmate told staff that Dukes was lying on the floor of her cell, according to the lawsuit.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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But losses continued, worsened by the high inflation that had shoppers tightening their clothing budgets.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2025
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Prepare for funding challenges Securing financing before a downturn worsens can be a game-changer.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Israeli forces began military ground operations in Gaza, particularly the Hamas stronghold of Rafah in an effort to degrade the terror group's infrastructure, authorities said Thursday.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
20 Mar. 2025
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And even roofs that are still relatively young may begin to show signs of weakness — the sealant that holds asphalt shingles in place often begins to degrade after a decade and can fail when pummeled with high winds.—
Ron Lieber,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Cloistered within the dense Mediterranean scrub lay crumbling remnants of bunkers and barracks.—
Gina DeCaprio Vercesi,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Mar. 2025
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Marcos appeared on nationwide television around midnight shortly after Duterte was flown out and denied the allegations of the vice president, who has had a bitter falling out with him after their whirlwind political alliance as running mates in the 2022 elections crumbled.—
Jim Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Signing Verdugo now would give the Yankees one less option to fill the Stanton void and weaken their lineup even more.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
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In an all-staff e-mail, Dudek wrote: Criticism, contempt, stonewalling, and defensiveness are the four forces that can end any relationship and weaken any institution. . .—
E. Tammy Kim,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Hynes declined to address the penalty kill after the game as not to jinx it.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
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His defense attorney, Alfred Guillaume, declined to comment on Thursday.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Sensor Noise: Typically measured with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), this parameter quantifies how much the signal has been corrupted by noise.—
Elizabeth Duffy,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Information tends to get lost or corrupted during transitions.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
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What begins as a refuge quickly descends into a nightmare as the siblings uncover dark cult practices and confront an ancient evil lurking beneath the surface.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2025
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On March 1, police descended upon Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, where the championship was holding its second day competitions, as a stampede of cheerleaders, coaches and parents ran fleeing from what many believed to be an active shooter situation.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
15 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 24 Mar. 2025.
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