as in to decompose
to combine chemically with oxygen
Iron will oxidize if it is exposed to air and moisture.
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Recent Examples of oxidize
For the headstrong, maternal Agnes, who is spiritually caught between the modern world and a more ancient, primal place, Turzanska used a palette of sanguine, rust, russet, crimson, and prune, inspired by the different stages of blood—from freshly oxidized to aged, clotted, and scabbed.
—
Elaina Patton, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
Each chamber isolates a different set of actives that would otherwise destabilize, oxidize, or lose strength if mixed together in a standard bottle.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 19 Nov. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025
Black Tea Black tea is made from the same Camellia sinensis plant as green tea, but the leaves are fully oxidized, giving it a rich flavor and darker color.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oxidize
Elaina Patton, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
Each chamber isolates a different set of actives that would otherwise destabilize, oxidize, or lose strength if mixed together in a standard bottle.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 19 Nov. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025
Black Tea Black tea is made from the same Camellia sinensis plant as green tea, but the leaves are fully oxidized, giving it a rich flavor and darker color.
—Caitlin Beale, Health, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oxidize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oxidize
Verb
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Funk assures that the softened, decomposing cardboard will allow plants to grow through.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
9 Feb. 2026
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Jon Hallford, a southern Colorado funeral home owner who stashed nearly 200 decomposing bodies and gave families fake ashes, was sentenced on state charges on Friday.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Due to its strength, contact with even a diluted bleach solution can cause pitting (localized, severe corrosion causing small holes) and rusting on blades.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Feb. 2026
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If cans have rusted or burst seams, throw them out right away.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of analyzing every detail in a scene, the human brain quickly detects sudden motion or change and reacts first.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Over time, Warren began to incorporate other martial arts disciplines like Judo and Aikido to teach his students to be well-rounded enough to react to any situation.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Generational lies begin to unravel, and the fabric of this family slowly begins to disintegrate.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
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This vacuum was meant to prevent the tungsten filament––that’s the little wire inside the bulb, the thing that glows––from burning up and disintegrating immediately, which is what a very hot piece of metal would do in the presence of oxygen.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But empires fall, and dynasties crumble.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Harkening back to the out-of-this-world aesthetics that won them broad acclaim for Poor Things, the commercial opens on a crumbling modernist edifice on a rocky outcrop in a stormy ocean.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That negativity has corroded Frank’s standing at Spurs over time.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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As the song progresses, more elements—slow-moving filter sweeps, waltzing arpeggios, a deep and doomy bassline—appear and disappear, moving into the fore of the stereo field before corroding and flaking away.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oxidize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oxidize. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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