1
as in to worsen
to become worse or of less value
the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of deteriorate
If economic conditions in China continue to deteriorate, Xi could pivot suddenly, perhaps softening his antagonism toward the West.
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Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is now in a similarly precarious position, as her health deteriorates within the confines of Iran’s notorious prison system.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
The light-receiving cells in their eyes had been deteriorating, gradually blurring their sight.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 25 Oct. 2024
As credit markets deteriorate, Bitcoin transforms from a speculative asset into a defensive, strategic holding.
—Ansel Lindner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deteriorate 
Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is now in a similarly precarious position, as her health deteriorates within the confines of Iran’s notorious prison system.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
The light-receiving cells in their eyes had been deteriorating, gradually blurring their sight.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 25 Oct. 2024
As credit markets deteriorate, Bitcoin transforms from a speculative asset into a defensive, strategic holding.
—Ansel Lindner, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deteriorate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorate
Verb
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The tussle on the Milwaukee-to-Dallas-Fort Worth flight is the latest example of apparent air passenger misbehavior – a problem that’s worsened for airlines since before the pandemic, with at least 1,854 incidents reported this year to the Federal Aviation Administration.Graham Hurley, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
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These symptoms may worsen into uncontrolled coughing fits that last between one to six weeks.Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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As the city's highway infrastructure degrades with age, the local group is advocating for a future rebuild that would better connect the neighborhoods surrounding the highway and improve drivers' commutes.Ryan Murphy, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024
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Bras made from cotton or wool are more sustainable and degrade much faster.Julia Ries, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The man scribbled outside the boxes on his ballot and crumbled it up.Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024
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Variations to mix into the cooked, mashed potatoes: Freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, sage and rosemary; roasted garlic; nonfat chicken broth instead of milk; favorite cheeses, shredded or crumbled.Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Such a test would be a sign of China’s weakening influence over Pyongyang and could spur Seoul to try to acquire nuclear weapons of its own—a position that both South Korea and the United States officially oppose but is gaining traction in Western policy circles.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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With its climate leadership perceived to be weakening, New Zealand may get a cooler reception at COP than in previous years, especially from Pacific Island nations, Cooper said.Mahalia Dobson, NBC News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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In the third quarter the negative trend in APAC mitigated, declining 3 percent, with a clear improvement compared to the previous three months, mainly driven by acceleration outside Greater China and South Korea.Luisa Zargani, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
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The other side: The Nooksack Tribal Council declined to comment this week, but justified the evictions in a statement released this month by asserting its sovereign right to govern housing on tribal lands and to prioritize the needs of its current members.Christine Clarridge, Axios, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Instructed by Khamenei to go after Iran’s unscrupulous and less Islamist leaders, the organization’s younger corps naturally began attacking some of its oligarchs, accusing them of being corrupted by financial interests and of being too timid in their dealings with the West.Saeid Golkar, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024
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When confronted further about the Big Lie that also finds a fertile home on social media platforms, Vance declined to respond to questions about the validity of Trump’s loss, instead saying Democrats were hypocrites in claiming Russian ads corrupted the results of 2016.Philip Elliott, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Soon, however, Ashleigh discovers shocking manuscripts by the titular author and descends into a dark exploration of the Crawfords’ past.Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
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But when Harvey goes missing, Batman is forced to descend into the city’s labyrinthian underground, uncovering a horrific conspiracy by a secret society that has ruled Gotham for ages, one that has ties to his parents’ tragic murder.Todd Spangler, Variety, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But now, arrivals have diminished significantly, and officials closed the city’s last migrant shelter last month.Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
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Black Lives Matter is severely diminished as an institution.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near deteriorate
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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