as in decay
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the unmistakable smell of decomposition led us to some fruit that had fallen behind the refrigerator
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Recent Examples of decomposition
Before storing the bodies in the crawl space, Gacy used lime to hasten the bodies' decomposition.
—
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
An anthology of first memories, a meditation on decomposition, spinning constellations—every stanza grapples with change on a private or galactic scale.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
The jiangshi were corpses suffering from rigor mortis and decomposition, reanimated when a soul couldn’t leave after a violent death.
—Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Eventually, the natural fungal spores will colonize, and decomposition will begin.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
After extinguishing the fire, officials found Robert Hill, 44, deceased with severe burns, apparent head trauma, and signs of decomposition, according to Melesa Johnson with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Authorities located a body in the front trunk of the Tesla that was in a state of decomposition, LAPD sources said.
—Alex Stone, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
This physical barrier is crucial for suppressing the decomposition of water, a primary cause of gas formation and efficiency loss in aqueous systems.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
The website states that the body was located on Wednesday, October 4, 1978, and the remains were unrecognizable due to decomposition.
—Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 21 Sep. 2025
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
An anthology of first memories, a meditation on decomposition, spinning constellations—every stanza grapples with change on a private or galactic scale.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
The jiangshi were corpses suffering from rigor mortis and decomposition, reanimated when a soul couldn’t leave after a violent death.
—Tom Duszynski, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Eventually, the natural fungal spores will colonize, and decomposition will begin.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
After extinguishing the fire, officials found Robert Hill, 44, deceased with severe burns, apparent head trauma, and signs of decomposition, according to Melesa Johnson with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2025
Authorities located a body in the front trunk of the Tesla that was in a state of decomposition, LAPD sources said.
—Alex Stone, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2025
This physical barrier is crucial for suppressing the decomposition of water, a primary cause of gas formation and efficiency loss in aqueous systems.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
The website states that the body was located on Wednesday, October 4, 1978, and the remains were unrecognizable due to decomposition.
—Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decomposition
Noun
-
Despite years of legal battles over the relocations, more than 150,000 bodies were exhumed from the 1920s to the early 1940s for the trip to Colma, each in various stages of decay.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
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Why didn’t evolution produce a more dependable version of the human body, less prone to malfunction and decay?—
Lucinda Rosenfeld,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Baroo is a modern Korean restaurant in the Arts District, with a focus on fermentation.—
Jocelyn Silver,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Peptides formed during fermentation may help relax blood vessels by interfering with ACE activity.—
Morgan Pearson,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nikolai Gogol’s will specified that his corpse must show visible signs of putrefaction before burial.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Likely only dead individuals, floating as gases formed by putrefaction accumulated in body cavities, entered the lagoon.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decomposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decomposition. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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