as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
in the years following the closing of the last textile mill, the town atrophied
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Recent Examples of atrophying
Language skills at the department are also atrophying.
—
Byron Tau, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Horvath blames educational technology (EdTech) for these atrophying skillsets, arguing that at the turn of the 21th century and through its first decade and a half, tech companies and advocates pushed a false narrative that the education system was broken, but computers could fix it.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
Byron Tau, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Horvath blames educational technology (EdTech) for these atrophying skillsets, arguing that at the turn of the 21th century and through its first decade and a half, tech companies and advocates pushed a false narrative that the education system was broken, but computers could fix it.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophying
Verb
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First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The foundation of the house was crumbling, so Michigan Humane called the Detroit Fire Department for assistance.—
Eric Henderson,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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However, that all came crumbling down in March 2023 when Madix discovered that her partner of nearly a decade was having a months-long affair with her close friend and costar, Leviss.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This also might be an opportunity to express your concern about his worsening drinking and ask him to get help.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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But with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply still largely bottled up in the Persian Gulf, which provides more than 80% of Asia’s energy supplies, shortages are worsening and getting hard to stave off with contingency measures.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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European luxury is entering a high-stakes first-quarter reporting period as sentiment has taken a decisive hit, just as many of the sector's big names were nearing a turning point after years of declining sales.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Royal Navy has shrunk dramatically since the Cold War ended, with combat-ready ships declining from 166 in 1975 to 66 in 2025, following decades of military spending cuts.—
Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Video from the rescue shows the helicopter descending near the Seneca River and then hovering over the water, where the dog is struggling to keep its head above the surface.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
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But then, suddenly, a silhouette appears, quickly descending those stairs.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atrophying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophying. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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