as in to disintegrate
to go through decomposition
detectives needed to know how long it would take a corpse to decompose to that advanced state
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Recent Examples of decompose
This biodiversity means that the many different minerals and nutrients plants require will be made available by the decomposing attributes of one variety of these microorganisms or another.
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Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2025
The condition of the remains – decomposing and partially mummified – as well as new evidence from Hackman’s pacemaker, suggest the couple had been dead for several days, possibly weeks.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
Crimping is the process of severing a crop at the base and laying it over to create a decomposing thatch/mulch layer for the garden without disturbing the soil.
—Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025
Even after your trash can is emptied, the bacteria and decomposing debris can be left behind in trace amounts, which causes the odors to remain.
—Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decompose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decompose
Verb
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The second phase was meant to pave the way to an end to the war, although the truce disintegrated when Israeli forces resumed airstrikes on Gaza.—
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The piece was about the cycle of life—the apple would rot and eventually disintegrate.—
Verb
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What doesn’t decay this winter can be mulched up next spring.—
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In particular, many theorists have wondered how the great complexity of life can be reconciled with the laws of thermodynamics that suggest that all systems must inevitably decay to a state of greatest disorder.—
Verb
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Such ancient artifacts, including those recently found at the pyramid site, have survived in the region for millennia due to the desert’s dryness—ideal for preserving organic materials that would rot in wet climates.—
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The piece was about the cycle of life—the apple would rot and eventually disintegrate.—
Cite this Entry
“Decompose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decompose. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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