1
as in worsens
to become worse or of less value
the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degrades
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deteriorates
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
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
Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.
—Bill Conway, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
Haldea cautioned that the secondary market could struggle to absorb a large wave of redemptions if investor sentiment deteriorates sharply.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The turtle slows, more organisms attach, and the animal’s condition deteriorates.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
The movie, out now, follows Irene (Liu), her son Joe (Lawrence Shou), whose relationship deteriorates in the wake of his schizophrenia diagnosis.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Despite his professional success, his home life deteriorates, particularly his relationship with his daughter.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.
—Bill Conway, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
Haldea cautioned that the secondary market could struggle to absorb a large wave of redemptions if investor sentiment deteriorates sharply.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The turtle slows, more organisms attach, and the animal’s condition deteriorates.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Mar. 2026
The movie, out now, follows Irene (Liu), her son Joe (Lawrence Shou), whose relationship deteriorates in the wake of his schizophrenia diagnosis.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorates
Verb
-
The incompetence at every level worsens and only two incompetents have been removed.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Charlotte Water has asked customers to cut usage by about 3% to 5% to help protect the region’s supply and avoid stricter measures if the drought worsens.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rising demand for biomass fuels also degrades watersheds and wildlife habitats as people go deeper into previously undisturbed areas, increasing pressure on ecosystems and the species that depend on them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Silicon’s performance degrades badly at high temperatures.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
In the legend, Orpheus descends into the underworld in an attempt to rescue his lover, Eurydice.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One nanny will try to get to the bottom of it before all the partying, power and privilege corrupts her.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The criticism most often leveled at proposals to support journalism is that government money corrupts editorial independence, which is a very real concern.—
Julian Baron,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Bears are looking for tax breaks and incentives, but all that will do the Bears no good if part of their fan support declines.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The lottery will also assign waitlist positions to the remaining students in tier 2 and below if a student declines the funding.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And the President doesn’t seem to mind if Vance humiliates himself running errands.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Later that season, Eric humiliates Bill in front of their Pierpoint colleagues by insulting his work quality and Bill dies from brain cancer.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorates. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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