as in rotting
to form rust
The old car was left to rust in the yard of the abandoned house.
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Recent Examples of rusting
There’s been a particular urgency lately, said Gutierrez, because the base of the sign is rusting and deteriorating.
—
R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The underside of the bridge is rusting and deteriorating.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
These prevent the tank itself from rusting and, if the rods are corroded, chances are your tank’s walls are next.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 Feb. 2026
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
Check out these recommendations on how to properly store a cast-iron lid and keep your cast iron from rusting.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
But when that car started rusting, it was taken down, and a police cruiser donated by GM in 1995 went up in its place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
These artifacts, like the late 20th- and early 21st-century shipwrecks rusting in Caicos Banks, were monuments to the foundering dreams of successive generations, who tried and failed to make the land pay.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
But the salt air has taken a toll, and the stairways and landings going down to the beach were in bad shape with peeling paint, crumbling concrete steps and exposed, rusting rebar.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The underside of the bridge is rusting and deteriorating.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
These prevent the tank itself from rusting and, if the rods are corroded, chances are your tank’s walls are next.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 17 Feb. 2026
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
Check out these recommendations on how to properly store a cast-iron lid and keep your cast iron from rusting.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
But when that car started rusting, it was taken down, and a police cruiser donated by GM in 1995 went up in its place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
These artifacts, like the late 20th- and early 21st-century shipwrecks rusting in Caicos Banks, were monuments to the foundering dreams of successive generations, who tried and failed to make the land pay.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
But the salt air has taken a toll, and the stairways and landings going down to the beach were in bad shape with peeling paint, crumbling concrete steps and exposed, rusting rebar.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rusting
Verb
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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,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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
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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
Verb
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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
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These products kill roots on contact without corroding the pipes or killing off the tree.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rusting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rusting. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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