as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
in the years following the closing of the last textile mill, the town atrophied
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in degeneration
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of atrophy
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
The story has gained ascendancy as a vehicle for understanding the world while the ability to interpret narrative has atrophied.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Megan's daughter, Bronte Henfling, said that even getting her mother to a new environment that was not a medical appointment to discuss her posterior cortical atrophy felt good.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Verb
What if the act of getting back onstage becomes proof that the muscle has atrophied or that someone’s sense of humor got stuck a decade ago?
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
The story has gained ascendancy as a vehicle for understanding the world while the ability to interpret narrative has atrophied.
—Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
For Europe to overhaul decades, or centuries, of atrophy to match the Finns, and back them up, would take a transformational effort sustained over many years.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Megan's daughter, Bronte Henfling, said that even getting her mother to a new environment that was not a medical appointment to discuss her posterior cortical atrophy felt good.
—ABC News, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for atrophy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophy
Verb
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But the consequences of a destabilized Mali, compounded by the wider fallout from the Iran war, are unlikely to stop at its borders and threatens to deepen a deteriorating security crisis across one of the world’s most volatile regions.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The research team noted that fatty degeneration of the muscle could be clearly seen on MRIs, as streaks of fat replace muscle fibers.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of nerve cells, which become damaged and die, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bovino, who led much of the immigration enforcement operation in Chicago and the suburbs, as well as in Minnesota before retiring this year amid criticism, declined to appear before the commission.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
The Salt Lake County district attorney’s office and the Draper City prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Over the last decade, the parish began to lose these buildings to age, mold and deterioration.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Swiss Eugen Bleuler, a follower of Kraepelin, replaced the term dementia praecox, which implied hopeless deterioration, with the softer term schizophrenia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That order is crumbling, and many of our former strengths built on our close ties to the United States have become our weaknesses.—
Keely Bastow,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
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The top of his head drilled Bona’s chest, and the Celtics guard crumbled to the court, holding his neck.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In detectors filled with liquid argon, the decay of this isotope creates signals that can look deceptively similar to the ones scientists are searching for.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
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Some formulas can remove surface stains caused by coffee, smoking or wine, while others address tougher stains caused by decay, age or genetics.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The scale and location of the development have drawn concern from some residents, who say the project could worsen traffic congestion and may not be affordable for middle-class families.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the global memory crisis has worsened, forcing tech giants to pay up for the capacity needed to satisfy their data center ambitions.—
Jordan Novet,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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It is anticipated that supervisors will attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of voters, by pretending this measure is a new implementation of term limits instead of a weakening of term limits.—
John Franklin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
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The weakening is mainly attributed to climate change, according to Elipot, speaking in a podcast interview with USA TODAY.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atrophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophy. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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