dilapidate

verb

Definition of dilapidatenext
as in to putrefy

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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 dilapidate At the center of the woods, off Haven Beach Road, was a solitary and dilapidated Colonial homestead that burned to the ground. — Bree Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023 Hamdok found that the legacy of 30 years of dictatorship meant that Sudan’s political and economic models were dilapidated. — Justin Lynch, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023 The initial goal was to repair and renovate it; however, this proved to be impossible as the original structure was too dilapidated. — Kimberley Mok, Treehugger, 28 Mar. 2023 The towers would replace a four-acre debris heap where the famed but dilapidated Deauville Beach Resort from the 1950s sat until courts ordered it to be imploded. — Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for dilapidate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilapidate
  1. putrefy
  2. decompose
  3. disintegrate
  4. corrupt
  5. degrade
  6. diminish
  7. recede
  8. downsize
Verb
  • East of Eden is a tome obsessed with guilt, sin, ambition, race, the land as healing and capitalism as putrefying, the nature of fate and the question of free will, and the role money and inheritance play in either our corruption or our cleansing.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of putrefy
Verb
  • The evolution of land plants and the development of soil go hand in hand—as these pioneering plants, trees, and animals died and their decomposing remains were recycled on land, by fungi and the first soil invertebrates, modern soils began to form.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Even poor Maggie the cat — the only living animal in Digger’s house and possibly one of the last living animals in the world — is decomposing in his arms, his sister (Sandra Hüller) says with a shudder.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • Studying an intact oarfish is remarkably difficult because their bodies typically disintegrate into brittle segments upon death.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The white outer layer started to disintegrate before the audience’s eyes, eventually washing away to reveal a fire-red corseted bodysuit and miniskirt underneath—a pleasingly literal interpretation of the tour’s title.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • Delphi sits above a geologic vent, an X from which noxious gases escaped the earth, corrupting the minds of women who inhaled and pronounced their prophecies.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The audience is interacting with an object that had been scanned, that had been corrupted in some way.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Verb
  • As a side benefit, because only the tread is in contact with the road, the rest of the tire could be made of non-traditional polymers that don't degrade into tiny particles under force of friction.
    — Ben Coxworth October 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Local farms face ever degrading soil conditions, tougher markets and more extreme weather patterns.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • When every decision requires multiple levels of authorization, ownership naturally diminishes.
    — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And where does the water come from for these 10 new cities as the West scrambles for what’s left of diminishing supplies?
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • There is a lot of money in the market, but some of it appears to be receding and the number of commissions is coming down.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Repairs on the zapped elevators were delayed for days while the floodwaters receded.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of recede
Verb
  • That larger beach house freed her from the need for a big city place, and so, like many empty nesters, the couple decided to downsize.
    — Michael Boodro, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026
  • After her daughter and son grew up, Saint and her husband downsized to a stylish, art-laden condominium in Westwood in the mid-1970s.
    — Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of downsize

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Cite this Entry

“Dilapidate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilapidate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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