1
as in decomposes
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fades
to lose bodily strength or vigor
having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decays
In theory, beryllium-8 normally decays into two helium-4 nuclei.
—
Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
This state then decays through a two-step cascade, releasing two photons in rapid succession.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
But Daye naturally decays at the end of each season, unless she is rebuilt using the branches, berries, and blooms of the next.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Grief gets layered on top of grief and secrets stack sky high as suburban normalcy decays into something at once alarmingly unstable and comfortingly funny.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
This famously happens when a quantum object is measured, but in this case, the mystery crops up when the top quark decays into lighter particles.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Nov. 2025
The RTGs are mounted on a boom and use plutonium-238 oxide that slowly decays and produces heat.
—George Petras, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 2025
Competitive advantage now decays in months, not years.
—Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
This state then decays through a two-step cascade, releasing two photons in rapid succession.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026
But Daye naturally decays at the end of each season, unless she is rebuilt using the branches, berries, and blooms of the next.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Grief gets layered on top of grief and secrets stack sky high as suburban normalcy decays into something at once alarmingly unstable and comfortingly funny.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
This famously happens when a quantum object is measured, but in this case, the mystery crops up when the top quark decays into lighter particles.
—Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Nov. 2025
The RTGs are mounted on a boom and use plutonium-238 oxide that slowly decays and produces heat.
—George Petras, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 2025
Competitive advantage now decays in months, not years.
—Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decays
Verb
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Another process, thermogenic hydrogen formation, occurs in deep sedimentary basins when organic material decomposes under high temperatures, roughly 480 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit (250 to 500 degrees Celsius).—
Promise Longe,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The clever bit is when these fuels flow through the Draper engine and encounter a catalyst that decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into high-pressure oxygen and steam.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It's become the default mode of governing for majorities in Congress as bipartisanship on major issues fades away.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Come evening, the pizza oven glows or a local farm-to-table chef cooks as the light fades.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But shortly thereafter, its nucleus fragments and quickly disintegrates.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The café disintegrates, white-peach mimosas lost forever.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
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Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Expanding nonmedical exemptions, however, weakens the very protections those medically vulnerable children depend on.—
Sarah Marsicek,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Critics say allowing the department to delay or sideline state investigations weakens one of the last independent checks on government lawyers.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the seaweed rots, hydrogen sulfide gas is emitted, which smells like rotten eggs.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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The big differences between the labs probably reflect the fact that, as Italians like to say, the fish rots from the head.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sloan allows that the next big test for local sports arrives as the 2026 FIFA World Cup descends upon North American for a 39-day residency.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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In the legend, Orpheus descends into the underworld in an attempt to rescue his lover, Eurydice.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decays. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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