as in to disintegrate
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of decompose
Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The Shrouds David Cronenberg’s body horror flick stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, a businessman overwhelmed with grief at the death of his wife who builds a device — a high-tech shroud — to watch her body decompose in real-time.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
Experts Raise Questions Boeing Issues Statement After Deadly South Korea Plane Crash
Park Han Shin, a representative of the families, accused the government of failing to provide freezers on time and said there are worries that the bodies could decompose.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
But if the wood ends up decomposing or being burned—as is often the case with Christmas trees—then much of the carbon drawn down could end up back in the atmosphere.
—Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decompose 
Verb
Several days later, the WinCo manager noticed a foul smell and called repairmen, who started removing bricks from a column outside the store and discovered a decomposing body.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The Shrouds David Cronenberg’s body horror flick stars Vincent Cassel as Karsh, a businessman overwhelmed with grief at the death of his wife who builds a device — a high-tech shroud — to watch her body decompose in real-time.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2025
Experts Raise Questions Boeing Issues Statement After Deadly South Korea Plane Crash
Park Han Shin, a representative of the families, accused the government of failing to provide freezers on time and said there are worries that the bodies could decompose.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
But if the wood ends up decomposing or being burned—as is often the case with Christmas trees—then much of the carbon drawn down could end up back in the atmosphere.
—Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
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Other groups disintegrated amid more prosaic conflicts over priorities and egos.—
Charles Homans,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2025
-
This time, the ship disintegrated and reentered the atmosphere at dusk, with impeccable lighting conditions accentuating the debris cloud's appearance.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Antisemitism remains a stark indicator of societal decay.—
Irwin Cotler,
TIME,
26 Jan. 2025
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The presentation included more consistent street lighting, new pottery and trash cans, new wayfinding signage, repairs to uneven sidewalks, and replacements for trees that are showing signs of decay, among other changes.—
Tyler Williams,
Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The scent of rotting flesh attracts pollinators, like beetles and flies, that lay their eggs in dead animals.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Jan. 2025
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But this week in Sydney, a city known for its beaches and vibrant food scene, crowds flocked to catch a glimpse — and a whiff — of a rare flower whose scent has been lovingly compared to that of rotting flesh.—
Max Butterworth,
NBC News,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Also, while the filtration process is inventive, the ingredients and traditional harvesting and fermentation methods are time-honored.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Feb. 2025
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Expect a moment suspended in time around a bold menu employing techniques such as slow cooking, fermentation and decoction.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Here was an artist drawn irresistibly to executions and corpses, dismemberment and putrefaction.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
20 Apr. 2024
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Kellogg’s thinking on constipation, that anything less than three bowel movements a day risked dangerous intestinal putrefaction, was shaped by the emerging germ theory of disease and the ascent of bacteriology as a discipline through the closing decades of the 19th century.—
Elsa Richardson,
TIME,
3 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near decompose
Cite this Entry
“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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