as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
corrupted corpses that sickened the animal control officers sent to investigate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition
a dead mouse corrupting in the walls produced a terrible smell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degraded
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
some observers believe that grossly violent movies corrupt the people who watch them as well as the people who make them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bribed
to influence someone with a bribe
he bragged about having corrupted half of the officials on the city council
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 corrupted
Kristen Roupenian, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
And then as with all of those artists that are beyond music but are actually cultural icons, all of the corruptive things come, and the body becomes corrupted.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Only the corrupted mediums of mass communication have changed.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
But digital forensics experts kept working to find images in back-end software that might have been lost, corrupted or inaccessible.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Blakeney is described as accepting bribes from Fairley and Hennen and recruiting other players from the Dragons to join a scheme that undermined the integrity of games and corrupted wagers.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Visual elements seem corrupted.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
After all, Eleven inadvertently created Vecna (and the Upside Down)—another powerful child could open a new bridge to the Abyss, or become corrupted, as Henry was.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Two decades later, the past reawakens when an email from the missing girl triggers the same sinister pop-up, pulling her childhood friends into a corrupted corner of the internet—and into the heart of Japan’s most chilling digital myth.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
The following weekend, on Easter Sunday, the final boss of the tier — L’ura, a being made of pure light corrupted by the void (although viewers called it a wind chime) — is still alive.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Helberg, cast as inventor Martin Phister, opens up about their characters who are trying to be virtuous and end up getting corrupted instead.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
During closing arguments that spanned two days, prosecutors drove home their argument that Jones and Dowling purposely corrupted Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair-to-be Sam Randazzo for their own benefit.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Because the Republican Party and the conservative movement have both been so deeply corrupted.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
But, if the release of the Epstein files has accomplished anything, it’s been to demonstrate how, on both sides of the Atlantic, systems corrupted by money are ripe for reform.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Her work plainly belongs to this lineage of witchy writers, women whose deliciously corrupted scenes of home and hearth produce fear and wild laughter at once.
—Kristen Roupenian, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
And then as with all of those artists that are beyond music but are actually cultural icons, all of the corruptive things come, and the body becomes corrupted.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Only the corrupted mediums of mass communication have changed.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
But digital forensics experts kept working to find images in back-end software that might have been lost, corrupted or inaccessible.
—ABC News, 15 Feb. 2026
Blakeney is described as accepting bribes from Fairley and Hennen and recruiting other players from the Dragons to join a scheme that undermined the integrity of games and corrupted wagers.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Visual elements seem corrupted.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
After all, Eleven inadvertently created Vecna (and the Upside Down)—another powerful child could open a new bridge to the Abyss, or become corrupted, as Henry was.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Two decades later, the past reawakens when an email from the missing girl triggers the same sinister pop-up, pulling her childhood friends into a corrupted corner of the internet—and into the heart of Japan’s most chilling digital myth.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
However, what the young Valdi captures on these early scenes is the sense that whatever love Michael had for music and performance had become immediately corrupted.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 27 Apr. 2026
The following weekend, on Easter Sunday, the final boss of the tier — L’ura, a being made of pure light corrupted by the void (although viewers called it a wind chime) — is still alive.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Goodwill is corrupted on arrival by the modern virtue of avarice.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Helberg, cast as inventor Martin Phister, opens up about their characters who are trying to be virtuous and end up getting corrupted instead.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
During closing arguments that spanned two days, prosecutors drove home their argument that Jones and Dowling purposely corrupted Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair-to-be Sam Randazzo for their own benefit.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Because the Republican Party and the conservative movement have both been so deeply corrupted.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
But, if the release of the Epstein files has accomplished anything, it’s been to demonstrate how, on both sides of the Atlantic, systems corrupted by money are ripe for reform.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
American culture will not be mocked or corrupted without consequence.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corrupted
Adjective
-
In the fall, the adults would find rotten crescents in the harvest.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
As of Thursday night, the film had a rotten 33 percent critics’ score on Rotten tomatoes.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Her body was so badly decomposed; no DNA swab could be taken.—
Mary Murphy,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The body was decomposed and dismembered.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Excavators sifted through sandy soil degraded by more than a century of cranberry production that formed a thick, hard layer over the natural freshwater wetlands the farms were built on.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Karácsony is one of those decent, upstanding politicians which degraded systems sometimes throw up unexpectedly.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As seen in a now-viral video on TikTok, Alexis took matters into her own hands and bribed her little girl with $2 to cooperate and smile for picture day.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Forest might have added a third European trophy in six years under him had opponents Anderlecht not bribed the referee for their semi-final in the 1983-84 UEFA Cup (today’s Europa League).—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
More and more Americans across the spectrum see Netanyahu’s Israel as a spoiled child, and they’re just fed up with it.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Other warning signs include a damaged or opened lid and an unusual or spoiled smell.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some decayed quickly, effectively disappearing without having done much harm.—
Eduardo B. Farfán,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
-
It was revealed in court that the beech tree at the center of the incident had decayed prior to the branch falling, according to the Evening News and BBC.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This has been a story of unforeseen incidents, such as the unnoticed approach of the storm and the capsizing in front of high cliffs that prevented us from swimming ashore before the cold water had weakened us.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
-
For Caracas, the engagement offers a chance to attract foreign capital and revive industries weakened by years of mismanagement and sanctions.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every summer, stylish crowds congregate along France’s southeastern shores, seduced by the glamorous promise of the French Riviera, spending their days sipping overpriced cocktails at the high-end resorts that line its sandy beaches as if plucked straight from a Slim Aarons photo.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Inside, a fuzzy white possum, seduced by cat food, sits, befuddled.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Corrupted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corrupted. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
