1
as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
English teachers bemoaning the degradation of the language that e-mail and instant messaging have allegedly brought about
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2
as in corruption
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the belief that moral degradation is an unmistakable sign of a nation in decline
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Recent Examples of degradation
The Great Lakes Legacy Act — which aims to address areas of concern in the basin where longtime industrial contamination has caused environmental degradation — has funded 34 remediation projects across the region since 2004, removing or capping almost 7 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment.
—
Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Participants who adopted a personalized foot angle reported less pain and showed fewer signs of cartilage degradation than those who walked normally.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
This is done because higher silicon content is more unstable and can result in more expansion and greater degradation over time.
—Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Archaeological theories suggest that Tiwanaku collapsed because of a drought or environmental degradation.
—Gina Park, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degradation
Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
Participants who adopted a personalized foot angle reported less pain and showed fewer signs of cartilage degradation than those who walked normally.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
This is done because higher silicon content is more unstable and can result in more expansion and greater degradation over time.
—Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Archaeological theories suggest that Tiwanaku collapsed because of a drought or environmental degradation.
—Gina Park, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degradation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degradation
Noun
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Initial jobless claims indicate only a minimal pickup in layoffs and/or deterioration in labor conditions at present, a positive dynamic.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The largest member of the grass family, bamboo is combustible, susceptible to deterioration and weaker in rain, raising legitimate questions about its durability, Arup’s Ho said.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Leading up to the protests, the hashtag #NepoBaby had been trending in the country, largely to criticize the extravagant lifestyles of local politicians' children and call out corruption, NPR previously reported.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
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Apart from lifting the ban on social media, the protesters’ other demands included that the Prime Minister resign and that Nepal establish an independent watchdog body similar to an ombudsman to monitor corruption.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Chinese authorities said that headline CPI had slipped into negative territory largely due to the high-base last year and lower food prices, while crediting the narrower decline in producer prices in part to Beijing's efforts in regulating the excessive price competition.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Apple—which topped the World’s Best Companies list in 2024—is notably absent this year due to a decline in revenue from 2022 to 2024, which many Wall Street analysts have postulated could be due to the company falling behind on AI.—
Charlotte Hu,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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On those three dates, variations in the moon's position relative to Earth's equator — particularly its declination — can influence tidal forces that subtly affect Earth's rotation rate.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Where corporate criminal investigations resolve without filing any criminal charges (through a declination or deferred prosecution agreement), companies should expect victims to still voice their views loudly to the Justice Department and beyond.—
Lisa Zornberg,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degradation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degradation. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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