as in rusting
to combine chemically with oxygen
Iron will oxidize if it is exposed to air and moisture.
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Recent Examples of oxidizing
The acid prevents cut apples from oxidizing and turning brown, while keeping sliced avocadoes or guacamole bright green.
—
Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
By capturing the oxygen, the coating prevents it from oxidizing the electrolyte and forming harmful byproducts.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
In the hole, life drops away quickly as oxygen disappears, below the surface (Oxic Zone) and transition levels (Suboxic Zone); at 100-140 m (330-460 ft), the third layer called the Anoxic Zone I is almost completely dominated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025
What's more, the oxidizing process would simply start again, and the entire structure would turn green again in a few short years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Today, the entire industrialized world is held up by the energy released by oxidizing organic carbon back to CO2.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
By capturing the oxygen, the coating prevents it from oxidizing the electrolyte and forming harmful byproducts.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
In the hole, life drops away quickly as oxygen disappears, below the surface (Oxic Zone) and transition levels (Suboxic Zone); at 100-140 m (330-460 ft), the third layer called the Anoxic Zone I is almost completely dominated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025
What's more, the oxidizing process would simply start again, and the entire structure would turn green again in a few short years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Today, the entire industrialized world is held up by the energy released by oxidizing organic carbon back to CO2.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oxidizing
Verb
-
Made with galvanized steel, this storage shed is designed to withstand rain and wind without rusting or corroding.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
Dampness on equipment, if left in the sun, can lead to rusting and corroding.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Verb
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From a nearby dumpster there came the sweet and musty smell of decomposing seafood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
The moist interior of pipes can harbor decomposing food, attracting fruit flies from the kitchen itself.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
13 May 2026
Verb
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When that structure exists, the organization stops reacting and starts operating strategically.—
Shivaas Gulati,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
-
Off-piste, freestyling, reacting to whatever picture emerges.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
12 May 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
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Last year, the Dominican Republic deported more than 100,000 Haitians back to their disintegrating country.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The mounting costs of Putin’s war on Ukraine have contributed to the nation’s shift, as Russians grapple with higher inflation, more taxes, crumbling infrastructure, tighter censorship, and myriad new restrictions.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
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The final sentence feels apt given that Starmer’s Labour administration is crumbling.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
Verb
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In the Monday lawsuit, Maryland officials argue that DC Water was aware for over a decade before the January rupture that the Potomac Interceptor line was corroding and in need of replacement.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
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This confirmed the source as the reactor’s corroding nuclear fuel rather than background contamination from global fallout or nearby nuclear facilities.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oxidizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oxidizing. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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