as in to decompose
to go through decomposition
we traced the bad smell to a dead skunk putrefying under the house
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Recent Examples of putrefy
But those explicit depictions underscore the many points McCartney and McLennan are trying to make about how misogyny putrefies society.
—
Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
It was designed to hold 20 bodies but on this day held 28 — the putrefied remains testifying to two dozen shattered dreams of reaching the United States.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Mules killed in the assault putrefied and attracted swarms of maggots.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, dregs and undigested material inside the body turned poisonous if not expelled.
—Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, so did dregs and undigested material inside the body turn poisonous if not expelled.
—Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
Many recipes that survive from antiquity call for allowing fish to putrefy in open vats under the Mediterranean sun for up to three months.
—Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2021
But some of the ailments Romans suffered boggle the mind—vicious fevers, wasting diseases and worms living in putrefying wounds that refused to heal.
—Edward Watts, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2020
But this, Marcus stresses, only causes our emotions to putrefy and fester.
—Barrett Swanson, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
It was designed to hold 20 bodies but on this day held 28 — the putrefied remains testifying to two dozen shattered dreams of reaching the United States.
—Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024
Mules killed in the assault putrefied and attracted swarms of maggots.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2024
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, dregs and undigested material inside the body turned poisonous if not expelled.
—Meg Leja, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Nov. 2023
Just as fruit and meats left untouched began to rot and putrefy, so did dregs and undigested material inside the body turn poisonous if not expelled.
—Discover Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
Many recipes that survive from antiquity call for allowing fish to putrefy in open vats under the Mediterranean sun for up to three months.
—Taras Grescoe, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2021
But some of the ailments Romans suffered boggle the mind—vicious fevers, wasting diseases and worms living in putrefying wounds that refused to heal.
—Edward Watts, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2020
But this, Marcus stresses, only causes our emotions to putrefy and fester.
—Barrett Swanson, Harper's magazine, 28 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrefy
Verb
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Authorities allege the teenager fatally shot the couple at their home outside Milwaukee in February and lived with the decomposing bodies for weeks before fleeing with $14,000 cash, passports and the family dog.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2025
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The clippings quickly decompose and return valuable nutrients to the soil.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Tulips bulbs left in the ground will rot unless they are planted in an area with good drainage.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2025
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While rotting wood needs replacement, the car’s steel frame remains in good condition due to decades of indoor storage, Phalon said.—
David M. Zimmer,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Mar. 2025
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The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The latest observations of the comet suggest the object, made of ancient rock, frozen gases and dust, has disintegrated on its way to a close approach of the sun, which was anticipated to occur on May 1.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2025
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Mike White slickly disintegrates American family and friend relations — using flashy prurience but no analysis.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putrefy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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