as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body the decaying of the bone mass that is so regrettably common in elderly women
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1
as in ramshackle
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2
as in dying
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1
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber
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2
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
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3
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
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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 decaying
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026 According to the Times coverage of the incident and subsequent lawsuit, the scenes shown in the classroom included autopsies, decaying cadavers and live animals being butchered, mutilated and tortured. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 The process starts when a male and female cockroach find a piece of decaying wood. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026 These cockroaches survive on decaying wood — a tough, low-nutrient food source. —Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026 The wings serve as a protein source, which matters when your entire diet is decaying wood — a tough, low-nutrient food. —Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026 All of this will be powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) that converts the heat of decaying plutonium into electricity; this is commonly used on deep-space missions. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026 Remove decaying leaves from containers and empty out the saucers after watering. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026 Bowood made its name as a wholesale perennial grower for nearly two decades before reviving a decaying warehouse and auto shop in the city. —Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
For the study, Ruotsalainen measured the Q values of two double-beta decaying and one beta-decaying nucleus. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
But the south side of the development, south of Diversey Parkway along Hoyne Avenue and Leavitt Street, remains fenced off and decaying. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026 According to the Times coverage of the incident and subsequent lawsuit, the scenes shown in the classroom included autopsies, decaying cadavers and live animals being butchered, mutilated and tortured. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 The process starts when a male and female cockroach find a piece of decaying wood. —Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026 These cockroaches survive on decaying wood — a tough, low-nutrient food source. —Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026 The wings serve as a protein source, which matters when your entire diet is decaying wood — a tough, low-nutrient food. —Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 13 Apr. 2026 All of this will be powered by a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) that converts the heat of decaying plutonium into electricity; this is commonly used on deep-space missions. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 Apr. 2026 Remove decaying leaves from containers and empty out the saucers after watering. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026 Bowood made its name as a wholesale perennial grower for nearly two decades before reviving a decaying warehouse and auto shop in the city. —Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decaying
Noun
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Scientists at the University of South Alabama observed that mice on a high-salt diet experienced rapid deterioration in their blood vessel function.— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
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One is instantaneous, the brain just flips into unrecognizable thoughts, and the other is a deterioration over time.— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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At last official count last year, the population in this hodgepodge of industrial plants, cow fields and ramshackle trailers was 16.— Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
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The home here is a ramshackle London town house where a famed painter, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen), is spending his final years in a haze of creative stagnation and lingering renown.— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Garden centers aren't giving a refund for a dying or dead plant but rather a discount on a new purchase.— Lauren David, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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D4vd’s parents are coming to his defense after the platinum-selling singer was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl found dismembered and decomposing in the trunk of his Tesla seven months ago.— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026
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The decomposing body of the teenage girl was found in the trunk of Burke’s abandoned Tesla last September, a day after her 15th birthday.— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Boyd window has undergone conservation in the past, including restoration work in the 1990s to address deteriorating elements.— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 21 Apr. 2026
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The film resurfaced after a collection of deteriorating nitrate reels was submitted to the Library of Congress by a Michigan man who inherited them from his great-grandfather.— Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The cast iron ensures even heat distribution and the enamel iresists fading, chipping, cracking, and staining.— Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
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Shapiro-Ikenberry led through most of the first half of the race before fading to seventh.— Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the blasting afternoon sun, the stench of fermenting earth and decay steams off the marsh.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
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Power from radioactive decay NRD claims the battery can deliver power outputs ranging from 5 nanowatts to 500 nanowatts.— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For years, many of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have embarked on rickety wooden boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, in a bid to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.— CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
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Your sunnies should be comfortable and durable, not rickety!— Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/decaying. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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