Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Three years ago, Nelligan and his colleagues, working from the backyard of a neighbor of Susan Flores, used soil vapor sampling to detect volatile organic compounds they say may be associated with decomposing human remains.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

The group used a technology known as soil vapor sampling, which they say could detect volatile organic compounds associated with decomposing human remains.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

In that instance, moss growth on a decomposing skeleton helped investigators estimate how long the individual had been dead.

From Science Daily • Jan. 1, 2026

The air was thick with the stench of a decomposing dog, left out to rot with no residents around to remove it.

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

He finally turned to her, grabbed the shirt, threw it to the side of the road, thick with decomposing leaf mold, and ground it in with his foot.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King