rotting 1 of 3

Definition of rottingnext

rotting

2 of 3

noun

rotting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of rot
1
2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rotting
Verb
Just keep it a couple of inches away from plant crowns and stems to avoid rotting. ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026 Their flowers smell like rotting meat, attracting beetles and flies to pollinate them. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 Massive piles of trash with rotting food accumulate in residential areas as the fuel shortage has crippled waste collection services. Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026 When Corms Don't Sprout If your corms haven’t sprouted after two weeks, there could be several reasons for this, such as rotting due to overwatering, insufficient warmth and humidity, or the corms being too dry. Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026 But different types of seeds have different germination and growth rates (aka ‘days to harvest’), and timing this against your area’s last frost date is your secret weapon against leggy tomato seedlings that still can’t go outside, or pea seeds rotting in cold, wet soil. Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026 Chad Ryan’s scenic design of George and Martha’s rotting-from-the-inside house is decorated with the symbols of war, like a framed sword, a model man-of-war battleship and a bust of Napoleon. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 That led to a mounting stockpile of rotting cocoa beans in warehouses, while farmers who already sold their stocks to governments have not been paid for months. Edward Acquah, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026 Failing to correct problems can lead to crumbling home foundations, rotting wood, mold growth, and a proliferation of pests, including termites. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotting
Adjective
  • Many grapes become too rotted and are left to wither away.
    John Mariani, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • If a single atom of that sample decays, the vial breaks, and the cat dies.
    Camila Domonoske, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The universe, however, consists of matter but almost no antimatter, which exists naturally only in small quantities, created by radioactive decay and cosmic ray collisions.
    Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • First, can spores and nutrients in a solid form be mixed in a workable concrete without deteriorating it?
    Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The alert, issued Monday morning, warns residents in Sunriver, Camp Sherman, Sisters and La Pine to prepare for dangerous travel and rapidly deteriorating conditions once the heavy snow strikes.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Scientists have also observed that these electrical signals become more active when the hyphae of wood-decomposing fungi come into contact with wood, suggesting fungi might use this signaling to relay information about nutrients or damage across their networks.
    Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
  • These electrical signals become more active when the hyphae of wood-decomposing fungi touch wood.
    Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The media covers it as a flash fire, not as a symptom of more dry rot in the crumbling of decorum and decency.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 Mar. 2026
  • As a seasoned journalist, writer, media analyst and a close observer of recent developments in AI, the exec offered a sharp insight into how rapidly developing technology is contributing to the crumbling of our understanding of media.
    Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The goal is to facilitate talks and secure an easing of the White House pressure campaign to isolate Cuba through a de facto oil blockade that is causing crippling fuel shortages and worsening blackouts, according to several people familiar with the talks.
    Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
  • But by the evening, lawmakers were still struggling to reach an agreement to end the impasse, even as many viewed the worsening situation at the nation's airports as untenable.
    Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Major dental work to remove her broken and decaying teeth, concentrated nutrition, antibiotics, vaccines, a spay surgery and an introduction to such simple luxuries as an indoor bed and gentle touch have all been part of Gertie’s healing.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Searching the room for clues, Hole spots a decaying hand arranged on the shelf with the thumb removed and the index finger pointing upwards — to the fifth floor.
    K.J. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.
    Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Vines growing on the trunk and branches can hide structural damage or potential hazards like a canker or decayed section of a branch or the trunk.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rotting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotting. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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