DECOMPOSING Synonyms: 107 Similar and Opposite Words

decomposing 1 of 2

adjective

as in decomposed

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decomposing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of decompose

as in rotting

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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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 decomposing

Verb

More than two months after authorities found dozens of decomposing bodies inside the South Chicago Chapel on the Far South Side, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office has identified all 55 people whose bodies were found inside the funeral home. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Over 50 decomposing bodies were discovered earlier in the month at the funeral home and cemetery. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 Complicating the retrieval is the position of Morup’s body, and the risk that it could be damaged or start decomposing on the way down. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 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, 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 Her decomposing body was found in a plastic bin more than a year after death. — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 Even fallen leaves insulate plant roots while decomposing into rich humus. — Pam Rosendal, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026 This kind of mold benefits plants by decomposing organic matter. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 26 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decomposing

Adjective

Two decomposed bodies have been found within five days at a park in western North Carolina, and both cases are classified as murders, according to investigators.

— Mark Price July 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026
At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026

Definition of decomposed

Verb

The bacteria comes from a variety of sources, including soil, water, sewage, rotting vegetation and animals, according to the FDA.

— Eva Flowe October 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Deer eating pumpkins can attract mountain lions to your yard, and raccoons feasting on rotting gourds can spread disease.

— Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of rotting

Adjective

Liberal critics, however, argued—also rightly—that the Soviet Union was a decaying, economically crippled giant by the time Reagan was inaugurated.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
The district also could be in for other major changes in the coming years, including the opening of a few new schools to replace multiple decaying, underenrolled schools.

— Scott Travis, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026

Definition of decaying

Verb

Scott’s face, in this shot, is a whole novel, disintegrating into tears before being shored up again, eventually rearranged into something resembling a welcoming smile that teeters on the edge of collapse.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
The 110-floor south tower, struck shortly after the north tower by another plane, was disintegrating.

— Diane Herbst, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of disintegrating

Adjective

Supermarket staffers were confronted by pools of water beneath freezers and spoiled produce earlier this week after hackers took control of refrigerators in hundreds of grocery stores across France.

— Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday that its cybercrime unit was investigating the large-scale attack, including the extent of damage caused by spoiled food and reports of fires.

— Angela Charlton, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of spoiled

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“Decomposing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decomposing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of decomposing

adjective

verb

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