degenerating

verb

present participle of degenerate
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value over the years the community-minded organization degenerated into a club for loafers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 degenerating McFarland found the items inside a degenerating family trunk. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026 But in general, any organic media is going to start degenerating over time, and the pH is going to be higher. — Ryan Conner, Dallas Morning News, 1 Apr. 2026 Scientists have hailed the benefits of exercising early in life to lower the risk of your brain degenerating later. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025 In the Pacific, meteorologists are watching to see how much rain the degenerating Tropical Storm Mario could carry into the San Diego region. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degenerating
  1. deteriorating
  2. crumbling
  3. worsening
  4. descending
  5. declining
Verb
  • Venezuela's industry has suffered from decades of underinvestment, deteriorating infrastructure and the loss of technical expertise.
    — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The woods surrounding the cottage also needed work to remove trash, deteriorating hunting structures and invasive species, the letter said.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • On a nearby section of the coast, crews have been placing rock to shore up a crumbling coastline and keep nearby trains running.
    — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • When a team is crumbling, a rare sturdy presence becomes much more than an afterthought.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbling
Verb
  • Once a rare occurrence, the ominous signal is becoming a more regular event thanks to the worsening climate crisis.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Residents accused the maps of worsening the insurance crisis and tanking property values.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • After descending in a metal cage elevator, Riff Raff removes his cape, revealing Frank-N-Furter in a corset, fishnets and pearls.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Dropping off the ridges into the canyons was like descending into a furnace.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • The Little Rock School District faces declining enrollment and financial challenges.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The cliff bee population is declining due to overharvesting, habitat destruction and climate change.
    — Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

degenerates
degenerating
degeneration
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Cite this Entry

“Degenerating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degenerating. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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