as in rotted
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Dissimilar Words
as in decay
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
the house slowly fell into disrepair and rotted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
rotting vegetation on the bank of the river
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rotting
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
The conservancy's plan to shoot the deer from the air, using helicopters, was shut down in 2024 after residents voiced concerns of bullets raining down and rotting deer carcasses that would be left behind.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The water was yellow and smelled like rotting eggs.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Even collapse felt easier in motion than rotting in that cabin.
—Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Stout was a legendary gardener whose only garden input other than water was rotting hay.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Hasbro adopted a plastic spud after new government regulations prevented certain toys from having pointed sharp edges, as well as complaints about children playing with rotting vegetables.
—Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Listeria monocytogenes, more commonly known as listeria, is a disease-causing bacteria that can be found in soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation and animals, according to the USDA.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
The city’s colorful outdoor food markets lay abandoned—the usual smell of ripe papaya replaced by the stench of yesterday’s scraps, rotting in the heat.
—Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
The fruit can have a little give, but a very soft lemon is overripe or rotting.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
The conservancy's plan to shoot the deer from the air, using helicopters, was shut down in 2024 after residents voiced concerns of bullets raining down and rotting deer carcasses that would be left behind.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
The water was yellow and smelled like rotting eggs.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Even collapse felt easier in motion than rotting in that cabin.
—Nick Dothée, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Stout was a legendary gardener whose only garden input other than water was rotting hay.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
Hasbro adopted a plastic spud after new government regulations prevented certain toys from having pointed sharp edges, as well as complaints about children playing with rotting vegetables.
—Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Listeria monocytogenes, more commonly known as listeria, is a disease-causing bacteria that can be found in soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation and animals, according to the USDA.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 19 Jan. 2026
The city’s colorful outdoor food markets lay abandoned—the usual smell of ripe papaya replaced by the stench of yesterday’s scraps, rotting in the heat.
—Armando Ledezma, New Yorker, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotting
Adjective
-
Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.—
John Mariani,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Leaking water can cause structural decay, mold growth, destroyed flooring, and more.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Lambdas are ideal for spin research because the direction of a lambda’s spin can be inferred from the direction in which a proton or antiproton is emitted during its decay.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In addition to default notices, a group of commercial property owners at Blackhawk Plaza have filed a lawsuit in Contra Costa County Superior Court that paints a picture of deteriorating conditions at the once-vibrant shopping center.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Harris said the mad dash to achieve human-level AI could create harmful incentives for unchecked growth, ultimately deteriorating safety, security, and economic well-being.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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
-
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
Noun
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Leveling threats of tariffs on adversaries and allies alike has been relatively easy, but the result has been a weakening of the economy and American trade ties, and a crumbling of the old global-trade system.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Additionally, decorations made of thin plastics, foam, or fabric don’t age well in hot attics, often melting, crumbling, or attracting pests.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Gripped by a worsening economic crisis, Cuba’s government recently adopted rationing measures to protect essential services and ration fuel supplies for key sectors.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The five preceding episodes depicted Louie’s worsening health, with Harden keeping a dignified smile on Louie’s face but also moving a little slower and admitting to more pain.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sporotrichosis is a fungal infection of the skin caused by exposure to a fungus that lives in soil, plants, decaying vegetation, moss and hay.—
Leslie Baumann,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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When Qualls saw the building again on a cool day last month, the renovation was a night-and-day transformation from the decaying structure that had sat vacant for several decades, its roof near collapsing.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some are sandy; others are rich in organic matter formed from centuries of decayed plants.—
Dinesh Phuyal,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Of the 20 dead cats, eight were too decayed for a necropsy exam, which determines the cause of death of a dead animal and any associated diseases or injuries.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotting. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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