decompose 1 of 2

decomposition

2 of 2

noun

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

Example 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
Verb
When plants get out of control, they are easily pulled up and spread as mulch, whereupon their leaves and semi-succulent stems rapidly decompose. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 May 2025 Hall died in 1990, six days after signing his estate over to his assistant, and decomposed for 72 hours before being reported to the police. Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025 This multi-agent architecture enables organizations to decompose complex business processes into manageable, specialized components. Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 Las Vegas Metro Police discovered the body of Matthew Kelemen, 56, decomposing and wrapped in a tarp inside a locked plastic bin near Fremont Street on May 20 after responding to reports of a foul odor, the department wrote in a press release. Christina Coulter, People.com, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
  • Guinness noted that the actor had to jump out of a helicopter from a minimum height of 7,500 feet — sometimes while wearing a 50-pound camera rig — and that the parachute could only burn for about three seconds before completely disintegrating, forcing Cruise to deploy a backup chute.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 June 2025
  • Instead the vehicle spun out of control and disintegrated during atmospheric reentry.
    Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Fluoride is under increasingly intense fire despite its dramatic ability to prevent tooth decay.
    Erika Edwards, NBC news, 30 May 2025
  • Meanwhile, about 40% of US children had access to optimal fluoride levels that effectively prevent tooth decay – between 0.6 and 1.5 milligrams per liter – while about 46% had access to even lower levels.
    Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • Don’t constantly flood the new grass as this can lead to rot problems especially in shady spots.
    Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 June 2025
  • Since then, the infestation has worsened, the complaint says, with students at times finding decomposing and rotting mice under the sinks.
    Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • The grapes are hand-picked and undergo maceration on the skins for a few hours, then racked into terracotta jars towards the end of alcoholic fermentation, to permit proper temperature control.
    John Mariani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • That’s just a side effect of all that good fermentation going on among your gut bugs.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • When the surgeons finally opened her with a piece of broken glass, the putrefaction was as warm as life.
    Nell Zink, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Here was an artist drawn irresistibly to executions and corpses, dismemberment and putrefaction.
    airmail.news, airmail.news, 20 Apr. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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