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.

“It’s like a muscle that maybe has atrophied a little bit over the years,” Gould said in his interview with the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

But that goal may be too ambitious for a sector that has atrophied during the pandemic.

From Reuters • Oct. 10, 2022

This is the longest I’ve gone in my life without singing in a group, and an entire wing of my spirit has atrophied, so I listen to the pop music theory show “Strong Songs.”

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2021

But that system has atrophied in recent years, with few major candidates willing to abide by its spending limits.

From Washington Post • Mar. 7, 2019

“Like any other appendage,” the captain tells me, “it has atrophied from lack of use.”

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman