as in rusting
to combine chemically with oxygen
Iron will oxidize if it is exposed to air and moisture.
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Recent Examples of oxidizing
The acid prevents cut apples from oxidizing and turning brown, while keeping sliced avocadoes or guacamole bright green.
—
Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
By capturing the oxygen, the coating prevents it from oxidizing the electrolyte and forming harmful byproducts.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
In the hole, life drops away quickly as oxygen disappears, below the surface (Oxic Zone) and transition levels (Suboxic Zone); at 100-140 m (330-460 ft), the third layer called the Anoxic Zone I is almost completely dominated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025
What's more, the oxidizing process would simply start again, and the entire structure would turn green again in a few short years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Today, the entire industrialized world is held up by the energy released by oxidizing organic carbon back to CO2.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
By capturing the oxygen, the coating prevents it from oxidizing the electrolyte and forming harmful byproducts.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026
In the hole, life drops away quickly as oxygen disappears, below the surface (Oxic Zone) and transition levels (Suboxic Zone); at 100-140 m (330-460 ft), the third layer called the Anoxic Zone I is almost completely dominated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Those flies themselves depend on sulfur-oxidizing microbes as their primary food source.
—Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025
What's more, the oxidizing process would simply start again, and the entire structure would turn green again in a few short years.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Today, the entire industrialized world is held up by the energy released by oxidizing organic carbon back to CO2.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oxidizing
Verb
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There’s been a particular urgency lately, said Gutierrez, because the base of the sign is rusting and deteriorating.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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The underside of the bridge is rusting and deteriorating.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Carie Hallford was sentenced to 30 years for her role in a scheme that involved hiding nearly 200 decomposing bodies.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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The autopsy was performed in September 2025, days after the body was found decomposing in the Tesla's trunk at a Hollywood tow yard, but the results were ordered sealed by a judge as the Los Angeles Police Department and the county's District Attorney's Office built their case.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lilly said in a video post reacting to reports of Marvel layoffs amid a larger Disney pivot to AI.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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Years later, Jackson was still thinking about her work, still reacting to it in real time.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The meteor was moving southwest at 30,000 miles per hour and traveled 117 miles through the upper atmosphere before disintegrating 27 miles above the town of Galloway north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, according to NASA.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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Last year, the Dominican Republic deported more than 100,000 Haitians back to their disintegrating country.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The buildings, visibly crumbling in the salty environment of San Francisco Bay, needed major repairs.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Replays showed Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway brushing Crosby's face with his stick before a defensive zone faceoff and the Penguins center crumbling to the ice.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the Monday lawsuit, Maryland officials argue that DC Water was aware for over a decade before the January rupture that the Potomac Interceptor line was corroding and in need of replacement.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
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This confirmed the source as the reactor’s corroding nuclear fuel rather than background contamination from global fallout or nearby nuclear facilities.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oxidizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oxidizing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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