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
-
Clogged Drains On the other hand, a smelly drain that gets frequent use may have a clog or decomposing matter in the pipes.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Over time, mulch materials break down and decompose.—
Maryal Miller Carter,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury was the final blow, the last solid piece of the Good Ship Giannis that was keeping it afloat long after the rest of the rotting ship was overrun with rats.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Such molds can grow on a variety of fruits, including apples, especially rotting ones.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The Void is able to disintegrate victims in a puff of shadow.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
2 May 2025
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The pair were belly deep in the rapids by that point, while the nest continued to disintegrate around them.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putrefy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrefy. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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