as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rotting
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of putrefying
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Because lose-lose situations are so endemic to the genre, a hint of relief can sometimes accompany the prospect of surrender to the putrefying mob.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefying
Verb
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Directors of a Texas funeral home are accused of neglecting bodies found decomposing in their mortuary without working air conditioning, authorities say.—
Mike Stunson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
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Mushrooms also thrive in decomposing wood mulch.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Letting the soil dry out some between waterings keeps the roots from rotting in excess moisture.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
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Also ideal for a vegetable garden and other flowers, each metal bed has an open base that prevents water accumulation and protects a plant’s root system from rotting.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This putrescent combination of sky-high home prices, rising mortgage rates and stifling consumer inflation have forced all but the wealthiest or most determined buyers out of a new home.—
Q.ai - Powering a Personal Wealth Movement,
Forbes,
17 Aug. 2022
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The most common are oils (cinnamon, clove, thyme, garlic, etc.), putrescent whole egg solids, dried blood, etc.—
Kym Pokorny,
OregonLive.com,
17 Apr. 2018
Verb
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Filth Flies Little filth flies such as drain flies breed in sludge and decaying matter that can build up in drain pipes, says Oi.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
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For the study, Ruotsalainen measured the Q values of two double-beta decaying and one beta-decaying nucleus.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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It’s made with durable resin and has built-in ventilation to keep moisture from building up, so your backyard essentials don’t get moldy.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Prisoners would be confined to the room for 48 hours at a time, with nothing but moldy bread to eat.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As gifts go, this one comes much belated—and with a high risk of disintegrating even as it is being unwrapped.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
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The electrical grid is disintegrating, with hours-long blackouts common across the island.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Those kept in the more acidic water were significantly more corroded, and had far more cracks and holes, especially at the root and tooth base.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putrefying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefying. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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