as in deteriorated
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as in worsened
to become worse or of less value
over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers
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Recent Examples of degenerated
Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The bear bowled Propst over backward, and the encounter degenerated into lopsided hand-to-fang combat.
—John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
Last fall, a Krousty Sabaïdi giveaway promoted by popular French influencer Fares Salvatore, who has more than 868,000 followers on TikTok, degenerated into mayhem when the call-out attracted 3,000 teenagers.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Murderous encounters dating to the Risdon Cove settlement eventually degenerated into the Black War (1804–30), a period of great physical conflict between the Aboriginal population and European settlers.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
After a police operation in Rio de Janeiro in October degenerated into a chaotic shootout, leading to more than 120 deaths, Brazilian civil society groups reacted in horror.
—Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Our national political and cultural discourse, especially online, has degenerated into a permanent fever dream.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
The bear bowled Propst over backward, and the encounter degenerated into lopsided hand-to-fang combat.
—John McCoy, Outdoor Life, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerated
Adjective
-
The trunk contained approximately 10 reels of deteriorated film — many rusted, warped, fragmented or fused together.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The rehab project at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was sorely needed to repair deteriorated stone, metal and glass that adorns the limestone exterior.—
Dylan Lovan,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The behavior of a suspect in the murders of two University of South Florida students from Bangladesh worsened over time from marijuana use, family members told deputies after his arrest three years ago for punching his brother in the face and kicking his mother in the back.—
Mike Schneider,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Higher debt and interest rates have worsened the country’s budget outlook.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The city’s fragile race relations had crumbled with Rodney King, Latasha Harlins and the 1992 riots.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
During the renovation of the pool, its original, corroded water jets were discovered.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
9 Apr. 2026
-
To reduce the risk, Powell Partners LLC, which owns the building, filed a permit on March 27 to remove a 50-foot section of a wall at the back of the structure, which is currently being held up by a jumble of corroded support beams.—
Aldo Toledo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Following 19 months of surveillance, more than 500 troops, six helicopters, and several planes descended on the facility, which was being protected by a perimeter of roughly 30 pickup trucks and over 60 gunmen.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Earlier this month, as Pippin and Imani descended onto Montrose, Lueck told the Tribune that Pepper and Blaze had been recently spotted at their wintering grounds in Florida and North Carolina, respectively.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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These risks are linked to prolonged contact with contaminated water, compounded by limited access to sanitation and healthcare.—
Abraham Nunbogu,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Another method involves covering contaminated areas with clean soil, clay or concrete.—
Eduardo B. Farfán,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Westerheide declined to answer follow-up questions about the Patton autopsy.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
That tax collector, Cheryl Blogoslawski, was suspended from her job in January, not long after a new mayor, Democrat Bobby Sanchez, took office after Stewart declined to seek a seventh two-year term.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with polluted water and poorer health because of the mining.—
Abraham Nunbogu,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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As Mexico City has expanded over time, the Xochimilco lake system has gradually shrunk and become more polluted in certain areas, which has led to a steep decline in their population.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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