How to Use deteriorate in a Sentence

deteriorate

verb
  • Exposure to rain and sun will gradually deteriorate the paint.
  • What has caused things to deteriorate so much in the last four years or so?
    — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2022
  • What if there’s a fire or if those beloved pics of great-grandma deteriorate over time?
    — Marah Eakin, USA TODAY, 8 June 2021
  • The webbed backing is non-slip and will not deteriorate when cleaned.
    — Tory Johnson, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The firewood will start to deteriorate and not be good to burn after four to five years.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Note that the quality may deteriorate over time, even if the item is safe to eat.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025
  • Note that the quality may deteriorate over time, even if the item is safe to eat.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025
  • Some hard plastic beds are less likely to deteriorate in time than those made from wood.
    — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
  • When the red bracts start to deteriorate or drop, prune the plants back to eighteen inches above the soil.
    — Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 15 Jan. 2022
  • Until, that is, a few weeks go by, and the men’s health begins to deteriorate.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 7 May 2021
  • Without them, rain can go down the flue and deteriorate the mortar joints.
    — Tribune News Service, al, 14 Sep. 2022
  • Skipping the gym while your body and brain deteriorate.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Williams’ health has deteriorated in the last few years.
    — Molly Parker, ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Even when sealed, potting soil can deteriorate over time.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Through it all, the Tolowa watched the center of their world deteriorate.
    — Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2021
  • The left turbocharger oil feed pipe may deteriorate and leak oil.
    — USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
  • After four surgeries — three on my left and one on my right — my deteriorating knees were a mess.
    — Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
  • An indoor flag may have a fringe (a fringe on an outdoor flag would deteriorate too quickly).
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
  • In fact, tile roofs rarely deteriorate evenly across an entire roof.
    — Mike McGilvary, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Though the cause of death has not been revealed, his health had deteriorated in recent years.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2025
  • The walk-in wall is deteriorated and peeled.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • These rubber parts can all deteriorate with age.
    — John Paul, The Providence Journal, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Livers can start to deteriorate when preserved on ice for more than eight hours, Bodzin said.
    — Tom Avril, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2023
  • Cardboard is a paper product that will deteriorate and fall apart over time.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Once that happens, salt can deteriorate the paint on top and car parts underneath.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Chinese trade talks would have to deteriorate quite rapidly for this to occur.
    — Todd Gordon, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The house is dwarfed by everything around it, and has been deteriorating for years.
    — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 25 June 2026
  • The result is that beaches to the south of the inlet deteriorate.
    — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026
  • The outdoor shed has a durable resin construction that won't deteriorate over time.
    — Rena Behar, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2023
  • The outdoor shed has a durable resin construction that won't deteriorate over time.
    — Rena Behar, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deteriorate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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