1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
middle-aged people who fervently hope that daily exercise will arrest the physical decay that usually accompanies advancing age
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the cycle by which the decay of dead plants on the forest floor provides soil and nutrients for the next generation of plants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to rot
to go through decomposition
the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor
having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decay
Mike Decaire, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025
His preferred model instead invokes the putative decay of another mysterious aspect of cosmology, dark matter—thought to be a substance that gravitationally binds galaxies together but otherwise scarcely interacts with the rest of the universe at all.
—Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
Each probe is powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) fueled by decaying plutonium-238.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decay
Noun
Many of those satellites have long since burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere because of orbital decay.
—Mike Decaire, Twin Cities, 11 May 2025
His preferred model instead invokes the putative decay of another mysterious aspect of cosmology, dark matter—thought to be a substance that gravitationally binds galaxies together but otherwise scarcely interacts with the rest of the universe at all.
—Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
All of this allows Lithgow and Rush to take this decaying senior rivalry to the heights, even veering into campiness as Lithgow stages a musical performance of a children’s song with Jenny as his partner.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2025
Each probe is powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) fueled by decaying plutonium-238.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decay
Noun
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From the start, the idea was to revitalize Eagle Crest Plaza, which became blighted due to years of neglect and deterioration by rainwater detention.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
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Conversely, Oklahoma and Iowa exhibited the fastest doubling of death rates after age 35—a sign of more rapid health deterioration among their populations.—
Jordan King
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury was the final blow, the last solid piece of the Good Ship Giannis that was keeping it afloat long after the rest of the rotting ship was overrun with rats.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Such molds can grow on a variety of fruits, including apples, especially rotting ones.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In March, Rose Shalom of Sunland lost her husband, Mannie Rezende, who had slowly deteriorated from Alzheimer’s over several years.—
Steve Lopez,
Mercury News,
7 May 2025
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But their relationship deteriorated as both countries became less secular.—
David Makovsky,
Foreign Affairs,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Hope for a similar easy resolution for the Wentz family quickly faded.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2025
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The issue of student rights has faded from headlines, though obstacles linger.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Communities also found decomposing bodies floating past their homes, leaders said.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2025
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Inside the home, authorities found the 70-year-old’s body dismembered and decomposing in 14 plastic bags, police said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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One of the five Venezuelan opposition activists who recently escaped after more than a year confined inside the Argentine Embassy in Caracas says their dramatic rescue underscores the crumbling state of the Nicolas Maduro regime’s security forces.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2025
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Prosecutors say Read struck John O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and left him to freeze and die on the front lawn of 34 Fairview Road in Canton in the early morning of Jan. 29, 2022, after yet another argument in their crumbling relationship.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Others may develop it after pregnancy, as the muscles and ligaments around the uterus can loosen or weaken.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
10 May 2025
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This weakens their ability to tailor experiences and erodes marketing efficiency.—
Amit Jhawar,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Though defunct objects in space routinely fall out of orbit, most pieces of debris disintegrate entirely during the reentry process.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 May 2025
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The altitudes at which satellites disintegrate are too high for meteorological balloons to reach but too low for satellites to sample.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decay. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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