as in decomposed
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as in rotting
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
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Recent Examples of decomposing
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Carie Hallford was sentenced to 30 years for her role in a scheme that involved hiding nearly 200 decomposing bodies.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The autopsy was performed in September 2025, days after the body was found decomposing in the Tesla's trunk at a Hollywood tow yard, but the results were ordered sealed by a judge as the Los Angeles Police Department and the county's District Attorney's Office built their case.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
D4vd’s parents are coming to his defense after the platinum-selling singer was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl found dismembered and decomposing in the trunk of his Tesla seven months ago.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
The decomposing body of the teenage girl was found in the trunk of Burke’s abandoned Tesla last September, a day after her 15th birthday.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
The Houston singer-songwriter was first tied to Rivas’ death in September 2025, when police discovered a trash bag containing a dismembered, decomposing body in a Tesla registered under Burke’s name.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of ripening fruit and decomposing produce.
—Christine Fiorentino, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
Clements explained that the animal had been decomposing for weeks before it was buried, giving its fossil an octopus-like appearance that led many scientists to conclude that octopuses had lived far earlier than previously thought.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
The search was prompted by soil vapor sampling, an experimental technology that detected volatile organic compounds potentially associated with decomposing human remains — though the method remains unproven in criminal investigations.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Carie Hallford was sentenced to 30 years for her role in a scheme that involved hiding nearly 200 decomposing bodies.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The autopsy was performed in September 2025, days after the body was found decomposing in the Tesla's trunk at a Hollywood tow yard, but the results were ordered sealed by a judge as the Los Angeles Police Department and the county's District Attorney's Office built their case.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
D4vd’s parents are coming to his defense after the platinum-selling singer was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl found dismembered and decomposing in the trunk of his Tesla seven months ago.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
The decomposing body of the teenage girl was found in the trunk of Burke’s abandoned Tesla last September, a day after her 15th birthday.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
The Houston singer-songwriter was first tied to Rivas’ death in September 2025, when police discovered a trash bag containing a dismembered, decomposing body in a Tesla registered under Burke’s name.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2026
Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of ripening fruit and decomposing produce.
—Christine Fiorentino, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
Clements explained that the animal had been decomposing for weeks before it was buried, giving its fossil an octopus-like appearance that led many scientists to conclude that octopuses had lived far earlier than previously thought.
—Jack Guy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decomposing
Adjective
-
Inspectors also found a decomposed rat in the basement.—
Mamie Bah,
CBS News,
15 May 2026
-
Inside was a decomposed head and torso.—
Laura Payne,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Still, others were not convinced this method was effective long term, as peonies can be prone to rotting roots.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
-
Dispose of any overripe or rotting produce immediately.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Indoor plants won’t always attract earwigs, but decaying plant matter or mold in the soil, issues that are common with over watering, will.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The transformation of decaying riads into hotels has often meant aiding the restoration of Marrakech’s UNESCO heritage site.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Discard any that look dead or decayed.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The meteor was moving southwest at 30,000 miles per hour and traveled 117 miles through the upper atmosphere before disintegrating 27 miles above the town of Galloway north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to NASA.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Last year, the Dominican Republic deported more than 100,000 Haitians back to their disintegrating country.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.—
John Mariani,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Imagine taking the rotten parking meter deal statewide.—
Jackson Potter,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
All around there was the pleasant rotten smell of dead fish in open air.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Also look for Janelle Monáe, who’s both amusing and charismatic as a spoiled trophy wife.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
15 May 2026
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My girl's gonna get spoiled — that's for sure — from Aunt Julianne.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decomposing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decomposing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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