1
as in to worsen
to become worse or of less value
the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deteriorate
Obviously, with rigorous use turned up all the way, your mantles will deteriorate and need to be replaced.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 May 2025
The relationship further deteriorated in February following Argentina’s seizure of a Venezuelan aircraft, prompting Caracas to close its airspace.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
The relationship eventually deteriorated and that led to court filings in Japan related to the couple’s son.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 May 2025
Palliative care can have five stages (stable, unstable, deteriorating, terminal, and bereavement), but not all individuals progress to all the stages, and the stages may be experienced in a different order.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 May 2025
The relationship further deteriorated in February following Argentina’s seizure of a Venezuelan aircraft, prompting Caracas to close its airspace.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
The relationship eventually deteriorated and that led to court filings in Japan related to the couple’s son.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 May 2025
Palliative care can have five stages (stable, unstable, deteriorating, terminal, and bereavement), but not all individuals progress to all the stages, and the stages may be experienced in a different order.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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As the disease worsens, these sores often develop umbilication, a small dent in the skin that resembles a belly button.—
Francisco J. Rivera Rosario,
Health,
7 June 2025
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Empty office spaces, slumping rents, sky-high office vacancies, and a meltdown in real estate values have coalesced into a worsening commercial property market in the Bay Area.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Use of this material has been proposed in the past, but has been hampered by the fact that making CNTs involves metals, and the residue left behind ends up degrading electrical performance.—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Briefly, however, while advocates say that isolating water conveyance from the Delta would improve habitat for fish and other wildlife, opponents contend that less water flowing through the estuary would further degrade its water quality.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
13 June 2025
Verb
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The strikes overwhelmed air defense systems, and the city was rife with fires burning, buildings crumbling, and other debris from the attacks.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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The myth that Medicaid is for 'someone else' is crumbling fast.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.—
Robert O. Keohane,
Foreign Affairs,
2 June 2025
Verb
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The April 11 ruling came during a hearing in Maryland, where a Justice Department attorney declined to provide basic details about Abrego Garcia’s whereabouts.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
7 June 2025
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Travis' declining mental health began to affect his parenting, which led Whitney to limit Travis' visitation, per a September 2024 court filing reviewed by PEOPLE.—
Nicole Acosta,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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To make matters worse, beyond unintentional biases, bad actors may corrupt AI technologies by feeding false or divisive information into AI training data.—
Corinne Post,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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In one poignant conversation, Hoover described how the GDs needed to corrupt our youth.—
Ronald S. Safer,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2025
Verb
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In November 1990, more than 3,000 women descended on the sleepy beach town of San Bernardo del Tuyú, Argentina, for what was becoming a legendary event.—
Marta Martínez,
NPR,
8 June 2025
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But on one March evening, these hulking installations were just a backdrop: Goose, and 1,000 of its most ardent fans, descended on the space for a special event promoting the ascendant Connecticut jam band’s new album, Everything Must Go (released April 25).—
Lyndsey Havens,
Billboard,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The perception that Iran’s military strength is significantly diminished will raise questions about the stability of its political system.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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