eroded; eroding
Synonyms of erodenext

transitive verb

1
: to diminish or destroy by degrees:
a
: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)
b
: to wear away by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice
The flooding eroded the hillside.
c
: to cause to deteriorate or disappear as if by eating or wearing away
inflation eroding buying power
2
: to produce or form by eroding
glaciers erode U-shaped valleys

intransitive verb

: to undergo erosion
where the land has eroded away
erodible adjective

Examples of erode in a Sentence

Crashing waves have eroded the cliffs along the beach. The shoreline has eroded badly.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But those savings erode in a case like Cheshire, where workers completed a five-story, 70-unit building more than a year ago — but local building review has held up certificates of occupancy. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026 In a community where trust in the immigration system and other authorities had eroded, Ortega became someone who had been through the same fear and knew how to navigate a system that many families found impossible to understand. Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 The trend is part of the broader nationalization of American politics, which has steadily eroded the independence candidates once enjoyed from their political parties. Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 And when heavy rain hits, the larger root structures can absorb excess water that would otherwise run off and erode the soil. ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for erode

Word History

Etymology

Latin erodere to eat away, from e- + rodere to gnaw — more at rodent

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of erode was in 1612

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Erode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erode. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

eroded; eroding
1
a
: to destroy gradually by chemical means : corrode
b
: to wear away by or as if by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice
2
: to undergo erosion
Etymology

from Latin erodere "to eat away," from e- "away" and rodere "to gnaw" — related to rodent

Medical Definition

eroded; eroding
1
: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)
acids that erode the teeth
bone eroded by cancer
2
: to remove with an abrasive
a dental tool that erodes the decayed area

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