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
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But the challenges are equally steep, ranging from deteriorated infrastructure to legal uncertainty and lingering concerns over contract stability after past nationalizations.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The trunk contained approximately 10 reels of deteriorated film — many rusted, warped, fragmented or fused together.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After his condition worsened, he was medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27, where he is currently hospitalized in an intensive care unit.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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The turbines reportedly worsened air pollution problems around Memphis, and led to persistent protests against xAI's work in the region.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Walls crumbled and the roof collapsed.—
Zohreh Saberi,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Alaska Time would have awoken them as the north fjord wall crumbled just in front of the retreating tongue of the South Sawyer Glacier.—
Megan I. Gannon,
Scientific American,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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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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And mere days before the art world descended on Venice for the preview week, the entire jury resigned, presumably related to their prior decision to exclude countries charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, which would include both Israel and Russia.—
Leigh Anne Miller,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
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But nothing has replaced the void left by mining, which, though dangerous and poorly paid, galvanized those who descended into the earth with working-class pride and purpose.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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People can get sick after breathing in contaminated particles that get stirred into the air, especially while cleaning or spending time in places where rodents have been active, like sheds, garages, barns, cabins and storage areas.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
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Both options are naturally gluten-free, but oats are more likely to be cross-contaminated with gluten.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
4 May 2026
Verb
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After 16 years of one-party rule, the cost of living has been driven out of reach for working families, and quality of life has declined in too many communities.—
Steve Hilton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Seton Hall did more with less under Shaheen Holloway, but didn’t collect enough strong wins outside of the conference to flip onto the right side of the March Madness bubble and declined any other postseason invitations.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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Though McCoy’s plot is often murkier than the polluted lake around which its events unfold, her voice, highly attuned to sensory experience, shines through.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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If canaries in coal mines were harbingers of safe conditions, surely piping plovers at Waukegan Beach mean the city is overcoming its polluted past.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Degenerated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerated. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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