rotting 1 of 3

Definition of rottingnext

rotting

2 of 3

noun

rotting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rot
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2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rotting
Verb
Now, plans are finally underway to remove the rotting vestiges of the structure. Kathleen Hill, The Providence Journal, 28 Mar. 2026 Just keep it a couple of inches away from plant crowns and stems to avoid rotting. ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026 Their flowers smell like rotting meat, attracting beetles and flies to pollinate them. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 Massive piles of trash with rotting food accumulate in residential areas as the fuel shortage has crippled waste collection services. Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026 When Corms Don't Sprout If your corms haven’t sprouted after two weeks, there could be several reasons for this, such as rotting due to overwatering, insufficient warmth and humidity, or the corms being too dry. Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026 But different types of seeds have different germination and growth rates (aka ‘days to harvest’), and timing this against your area’s last frost date is your secret weapon against leggy tomato seedlings that still can’t go outside, or pea seeds rotting in cold, wet soil. Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026 Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months. Edward Acquah, Fortune, 9 Mar. 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
  • Samples returned during the Apollo missions have linked this to higher concentrations of heat-producing radioactive elements such as thorium, whose decay likely fueled ancient volcanic eruptions, while much of the rest of the moon remained comparatively cooler.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Film negatives deteriorate through humidity, chemical decay and physical damage, and without timely intervention, important works risk being lost entirely.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Scientists have also observed that these electrical signals become more active when the hyphae of wood-decomposing fungi come into contact with wood, suggesting fungi might use this signaling to relay information about nutrients or damage across their networks.
    Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
  • These electrical signals become more active when the hyphae of wood-decomposing fungi touch wood.
    Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The media covers it as a flash fire, not as a symptom of more dry rot in the crumbling of decorum and decency.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 Mar. 2026
  • As a seasoned journalist, writer, media analyst and a close observer of recent developments in AI, the exec offered a sharp insight into how rapidly developing technology is contributing to the crumbling of our understanding of media.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • This also might be an opportunity to express your concern about his worsening drinking and ask him to get help.
    Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
  • But with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply still largely bottled up in the Persian Gulf, which provides more than 80% of Asia’s energy supplies, shortages are worsening and getting hard to stave off with contingency measures.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The mill was abandoned in the 1970s, the rail line in the ’80s, and both sat decaying until just before the pandemic.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
  • In addition to the decaying physical structure, Richards highlighted a decrease in correction officer staffing levels such that people inside do not feel safe.
    Steve Zeidman, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.
    Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Vines growing on the trunk and branches can hide structural damage or potential hazards like a canker or decayed section of a branch or the trunk.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotting. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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