as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
in the years following the closing of the last textile mill, the town atrophied
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Recent Examples of atrophies
The hippocampus is primarily responsible for memory and learning, and commonly shrinks, or atrophies, after a stroke.
—
New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025
New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atrophies
Verb
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When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.—
Eugene Litvak,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
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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
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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Distress could spread to countries beyond the Gulf if dire conditions prompt residents to flee across borders and infrastructure damage worsens a global oil shock, analysts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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In this case, your sweat is wasted and actually worsens the situation by failing to cool your body and contributing to dehydration.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the summer air thickens with diffused sunlight and harsh humidity, a psychological fog descends on our young protagonist.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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And water aerobics for senior women descends into a bizarre request.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Jeannot is not wired to jump anybody who declines an invitation.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Six out of the 10 top richest people in the world have experienced wealth declines between $30 and $60 billion this calendar year, totalling over $255 billion.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atrophies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atrophies. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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